


Two Sides of One Coin

by AppleCiderr



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Author Is Sleep Deprived, BAMF Tony Stark, Bodyswap, Bullying, Depression, F/M, I mean, M/M, Memory Magic, Original Character Death(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Self-Defense, Self-Harm, Self-Sacrifice, Sibling Rivalry, Suicide Attempt, Technically It Is, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Won't Take The Avengers Shit No More, Tony Stark-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2018-12-03 17:21:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 32,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11536863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AppleCiderr/pseuds/AppleCiderr
Summary: After sacrificing himself during Infinity War, Tony finds himself in the body of Jamie, a young boy who attempted suicide because of a life filled with hate and bullying, and died in Tony's body. Deciding he owes it to himself and the previous owner of the body, Tony decides he will no longer be a pushover. He starts to stand up for himself and the people around him, all the while trying to keep the visage of Jamie.But when a visit to New York raises suspicions of a certain Agent, Tony's secret may be found out. What will happen to Tony once it is? Can the Avengers fix their fractured relationship with a braver, and stronger Tony Stark?





	1. The Flip of the Coin

**Author's Note:**

> This story is based off the wonderful manwha written by the talented Haribo, At the End of the Road. Please go read it and support the author!
> 
> You can read a bunch of the beginning chapters for free here: https://www.lezhin.com/en/comic/attheend 
> 
> Expect the first few chapters to follow the plot, but it will deviate soon ^_^
> 
> Enjoy~

The teenager was slammed into the wall again, a fist slamming into his stomach. This caused him to lurch forward and cough violently, falling to his knees. The man in front of him grabbed his face, and whispered darkly into his ear. The group of people behind him laughed. He then slammed his head against the wall before walking away. The group moved forward to take his place, as they pelted his body with punches, kicks, and spit. The teenager didn’t try and fight anymore, he had long since given up.

 

Once they were gone, the teenager put his torn clothing back on the best he could, and left the school grounds. He could have just headed home, but he decided that he wouldn't be going back. In fact, soon he wouldn't be doing anything anymore.

 

He bumped into several people along the way, but never stopped, he had one goal in mind and one goal only. The student walked to a bridge, on the route back to school. The sky had gone dark long ago. He swung his lanky legs over the railing, and stood on the edge of the bridge.

 

Looking down for a second, eyes empty of emotion, he thought about his life. Then, with no regrets, he let go. He fell, fallings towards the street, as an oncoming truck screeched to try and stop. But it still slammed into his falling body. The teenager’s world faded around him, as he gave one, final thought.

 

_ I want to die.. _

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- 

 

On the other side of the world, the battle of the century was happening. The Avengers against Thanos. The battle was painful, hard, and long. Nobody knew how much farther they could go on..

 

Thanos was powering another attack, as the magical violence swirled around them. Tony saw who he was aiming for. For Steve.. In that moment, he made a split second decision. He flew forward, grabbing as Thanos’ gauntlet and pushing it up. The magic gauntlet protected the user, but not Tony. He screamed, his suit imploding around him as he flew down.

 

His body was in extreme pain, limbs felt like they were missing. Tony wheezed out, seeing the blurry faces of the people around him. They were screaming, begging. Steve in particular, tears streaming down his face as he realized Tony had saved him.

 

Taking a deep breath, Tony wheezed out,”Don’t waste it.. Don’t waste this chance..” His vision began to fade, noises sounded like they were underwater.

 

Suddenly, another blast flew forwards, and Tony’s world shut down around him. In those final moments, Tony felt like he was floating in the darkness. Just before everything finally faded away, one more sad, desperate, and regretful thought flew through his mind.

 

_ I’m sacrificing myself for the greater good.. _

 

_ But I still want to live.. _

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The next thing Tony knew, his vision came back. He saw the blurry form of.. An IV? His eyes snapped open completely. He sat up quickly, looking around him. The blanket was green, there were plastic borders on the bed, he was wearing pajama-like clothing that had a blue and white vertical pattern, sun was shining despite the blue curtains, and all the walls were white.  _ I’m in a hospital? _

 

Tony frowned, looking down at his suddenly very pale hands in confusion, one clutching at the. He brought one hand closer to his face, flexing it slowly. I’m alive? He thought in shock. How am I alive? My body, I was torn apart..

 

He turned away, no longer facing the window or looking at his hands. Turning towards the nightstand, Tony saw a mirror. But the person looking back at him in the mirror.. It wasn’t him. 

 

The person in the mirror had messy red hair that fell into their freckled face. In the long hair was a spike of white hair right near the front bangs. He took the pale hand, lifting the messy bangs and looking at the face closer. The face had one blue eye, and one brown eye. The lips were soft, and slightly feminine looking, and the entire pale face was covered in freckles.

 

Tony let out a panicked noise, too shocked to realize how different the voice sounded. He slapped his hands against the cheeks, running his hands through the hair, and tugging at the hair. He turned to look next to him, but there was no one else there, so he turned and looked back at the mirror in confusion. 

 

Confusion beginning to boil and overflow, he waved his hands around, trying to see if what he was seeing was real. He brought the hands to his cheeks again, eyes wide with confusion.  _ What’s going on?! What is this?! Who are you?! _   
  


Tony threw the blanket down, forcing himself on his shaky feet. He then stumbled, crying  out as he flopped to the ground. He wheezed, forcing himself up again and running to the door against the wall. Sliding it open, he found a small bathroom. The mirror in it showed the same person, but it wasn’t Tony.  _ No, no, no, what’s going on?! It can’t be! It’s impossible!! _

 

Tony was finally realized he was panicking, and forced himself to take several deep breaths. He calmed down, and looked at himself again. He ran a pale hand through the hair. _ Is this a dream? But this feels so real?!  _ His heart began to speed up again, but he quickly clutched at the pajamas and took more deep breaths.

 

Unable to look at the strange, unfamiliar face anymore, he left the room he tried to think of what could have happened after that explosion. But nothing came to mind, nothing about how he was alive, how he survived, how he had all his limbs still.

 

Tony felt a sudden creeping sadness crawl through him. His arms hugged his suddenly very skinny body, as he choked out a sob. He slid down the wall, knees coming up to his chest and crossing his pale feet, sobbing into his knees. It hurt so bad, he didn’t understand.. He hated this. He didn’t know what to do..

 

Before he could fall into a bigger panic, the bigger door slid open. In the doorway stood two people, one looked to be a doctor. The other person was a man with blue eyes, and brown hair, wearing a black trench coat over black suit pants, a white dress shirt, and a red tie. His eyes were wide as he stared at Tony, whispering something Tony couldn’t hear, and running over to him.

 

He pulled the panicking man into a hug, causing Tony to panic. It had been so long since he’d been touched without being hurt, he couldn’t help but panic. “Ah! L-let go!” He cried out in the unfamiliar voice,”Let me go! Where am I?! Who are you?!”

 

The man pulled away, and Tony scrambled back against the wall. The man looked broken, shattered, because of what Tony said. “You don’t.. You don’t remember me?” He asked, though his voice was hard to hear for Tony. But slowly, he shook his head to the question. “I don’t know who you are..”

 

The man gasped again, his hand going to his mouth, as tears began to fall down his face. “Oh, son..” He whispered,”I’m so sorry..”

 

It was in that moment, Tony realized what was going on. He was in someone else’s body, in someone else’s life. This person, it was this body’s father.. 

 

But if he was in this body.. Did that mean the other person was in his?!

 

Did that mean that they were dead..?

 

Then.. Then what was Tony supposed to do now?!

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- 

 

“Three months?” Tony whispered in shock. He was now sitting on a stool, facing the doctor in his office. The father was standing next to Tony, his hand clutching his tie nervously. The doctor had just explained that Tony had been asleep for three months, but it didn’t feel like that to him. 

 

Tony felt like one minute he had been fighting Thanos, then the next minute he was in this body. It made him wonder if everyone was okay, if they had won the fight. Since he was still alive, he guessed they had. But he couldn’t check yet.

 

The doctor nodded, and softly responded,”It must be hard to believe, but you’ve been unconscious for three months since February. When you were first brought in, you had no brain activity at all. But right when we were about to pronounce you dead, you began breathing again. Brain damage was minimal, but it was almost like you refused to wake up.”

 

Tony’s eyes were wide as he listened, slowly nodding. The doctor then pulled up his clipboard. “I understand that you don’t recognize your father when you first saw him,” He began, looking at Tony through his glasses. “But where exactly do your memories end? Tell me what you _ do _ remember.”

 

Tony looked down at his lap, squeezing the pajama pants between the pale hands. “I don’t remember anything,” He sighed,”It’s all blank, I don’t remember anything.. I don’t even remember my name..”

 

The man next to him gasped out in what Tony guessed was horror and sadness, and seemed to be struggling to hold in his tears. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the flaming pain squeezing at his heart. I feel like I’m stealing your son, I’m so sorry.. But I don’t know how to fix this..

 

“The symptoms seem very severe case of retrograde amnesia, probably because of the trauma from that truck accident,” The doctor explained, beginning to write something down.

 

“No!” The father exclaimed,”It- It can’t be! He’s been through so much, it’s just too cruel. I don’t want Jamie to suffer anymore.. Tell me it isn’t true!”

 

The doctor sighed, placing his pen down. “I’m not here to sugar coat things, sir, I’m here to state the facts. There is only a small chance he may regain his memories, all you can do is be there for Jamie and be patient and supportive. Don’t rush him, don’t expect him to remember everything instantly, it will only confuse him even more. All you can do is be there for him, don’t treat him any different, he’s still family. He may be able to remember,” The doctor said.

 

The man weakly nodded, wiping his eyes. The doctor then took Tony back, doing a few tests on his body. All the while, Tony felt like he was in a daze, unsure of what he could say.

 

When he returned to the room, he saw the man from before pacing the room. There was a suitcase on the hospital bed filled with a few things Tony could only guess was brought to Jamie while he was in the hospital. The man then noticed Tony at the door, freezing up, before he wiped his eyes furiously.

 

Tony felt a blush creep up his system, as he stared back. One could feel the suffocating tension in the room. What do I say in this situation? I’ve never had someone care about me like a father.. But I’m not this person’s son.. Tony almost growled, clenching his fists. I feel so helpless!

 

“Jamie?” The man’s voice called out, jerking Tony from his thoughts. “Do you.. Really not remember me?” 

 

Tony wanted to cry, seeing the pain in the man’s eyes. He wished he could say yes, that he remembered. But to lie to this man, and possibly say the wrong thing. No, he couldn’t do that. So instead he shook his head.

 

“No, I’m sorry.. I don’t,” He admitted, before quickly declaring,”I want to! I really do! I’m sorry.. I’m sorry I can’t.. I want to so bad but I-”

 

Suddenly, the man yanked Tony into another hug. Tony tensed up in surprise, but slowly melted into the touch. “It’s okay Jamie,” He said calmly,”You’re awake, you’re alive. That’s all I need, okay? I wouldn’t be able to handle losing you after losing your mother. Just having you here, that’s all I want for now.”

 

The man pulled away, his blue eyes filled with sadness, but still seeming happy. “Come on, I’ll take us home, and then I’ll answer any questions you have,” He promised.

 

That’s how Tony found himself, wearing a blue long sleeved shirt and black jeans. He was staring at his palms as Jamie’s father drove them home, the world around him seemed blurred. His mind was jumbled, he seemed to be thinking of everything. What were the avengers doing? How did he get home? Did his body die? Would he ever find out? 

 

But there was one, singular question that rose above all others..

 

_ What do I do now? _


	2. No Family Is Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets Jamie's family, and makes a firm decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted this on my schools computer, now this site is probably going to be put on the restricted list XD
> 
> Enjoy!

They continued down the road for a long while, an awkward silence between them. Jamie’s father simply looked like he didn’t know what to say, his eyes flicking towards Tony every now and then with concern before they turned back towards the road. A few times he took a breath, as if he was about to speak, but he never got any farther than that.

 

At least he was trying though.. Tony wasn’t sure what he  _ could _ say. He was worried that any word spoken may cause an explosion of emotion he wasn’t ready for, or that he may say something he didn’t mean to. The genius didn’t know what to do. He switched bodies, he was living this kid’s life while the real Jamie is probably dead. What in the world could he say to this man?!

 

Releasing an awkward sigh, he turned to look out the window. Outside, buildings were started to rise up around them. From skyscrapers to smaller restaurants. His intelligent, mismatched eyes examined everything around him, looking for some semblance of peace in the sudden chaos his mind was drowning in. But he would not find any.

 

He looked at the signs around them, and noticed something.. The signs weren’t in English.. He made a confused look, squinting his eyes. “What.. Language is that?” He asked, a strange feeling of dread filling his stomach.

 

Jamie’s father seemed to relax at the break of tension, and then gave a weak smile. “It’s the language we’re speaking, Jamie. We’re in Japan,” He explained.

 

“Japan?” Tony queried,”Why are we in Japan?”

 

The older man gave a pained look at the fact that Tony didn’t remember. Tony felt guilty, even though there was really no possible way for him to remember something he had never experienced.  

 

“I teach English at one of the universities, so we moved here when you were little,” He explained,”We’ve been here ever since.”

 

The car began to slow to a stop against a curb. Meanwhile, Tony frowned, trying to take everything in. Not only was he in a completely different body, he was far from America. How would he get back to the Avengers? Would they believe him if he claimed he was Tony Stark? What if-

 

“I know it’s a lot to take in..” Jamie’s father began, his gentle eyes now looking at Tony,”But I want you to know, I’ll be there for you the whole way. Whether or not you remember me, you’re still my son, nothing could change that.”

 

Tony felt something break in him.  _ That’s not true though.. I’m not your son.. I’m so sorry..  _ He thought, something wet beginning to slide down his cheeks.    
  


Desperate for comfort, he found himself leaning forward. The older man reacted instantly, hugging Tony tightly and letting him sob. His father had never hugged him before.. This was unlike anything Tony ever felt.. It was a warm and loving, feelings Tony had long since forgotten the feeling of. All of his concerns faded away for a moment, as he let himself melt into the embrace.

 

Eventually, his mind caught up to his emotions. He pulled away suddenly, wiping his eyes furiously. “I’m sorry..” He muttered in shame.

 

“Don’t be sorry Jamie, I’m always here for you,” Jamie’s father promised him, smiling comfortingly. It made Tony feel warm all over again, and he found that he wouldn’t mind getting used to a feeling like that. 

 

They exited the car, walking into the building. After a trip to the fifth story of the elevator, they got to apartment 505. Jamie’s father opened the door and let them inside. Before Tony had a chance to examine the apartment around them, the older man called out for someone. “Alex!! Your brother is home!” He called happily.

 

There was a thumping on the wooden floor as a blur ran towards Tony. Before he could react, arms were thrown around him in a tight painful hug. “Jamie! Jamie!!” Another voice called happily,”It’s so good to see you again!”

 

The hands remained on his shoulders as the person pulled back, and Tony finally got a good look at him. He was taller than Jamie’s body, with short, dark brown hair, and the same blue eyes. He was almost a spitting image of the father, except that he had a more youthful appearance. 

 

“Don’t worry, Jay, you don’t have to say anything,” The young man promised,”Dad already told me everything over the phone. I’m Alex, your older brother.”

 

Tony nodded quietly, looking him up and down. He could sort of see the resemblance, mainly in the eyes. Alex stayed still for another second, before suddenly hugging Tony once more. But his hugs were different from the father’s. His hugs were tight and kind of forced.

 

“I’m sorry,” The young man apologized,”I just can’t help myself, I’m so happy to have you home again!”   
  


After a few more seconds in the tight hug, he pulled away. Jamie’s father smiled, looking happy at the reunion. “Is Lucy asleep?” The man asked.

 

“Yeah, I put her down about a half hour ago,” Alex explained, turning to look at Tony. “Lucy is our baby sister,” He explained.

 

Tony gave another simple nod, but his eyes followed Jamie’s father, who was moving back towards the door. “Um.. Uh..” Tony began, walking forward and managing to ask,”D-dad? Where are you going?”

 

The man gave a soft smile. “I’m going to go inform your school and then drop the rental car back off,” He explained,”Don’t worry, Alex will show you around. Won’t you?”

 

Alex grinned, wrapping an arm around Tony, and nodding. “Of course!” He declared,”See you in a bit, dad!”   
  


The door shut, and Alex took his hand, leading him down the hall.. But even with the father gone, questions still filled Tony’s speeding mind. _ I don’t understand.. This kid’s life is so good.. He has a happy and loving family.. I feel wrong stealing this from him..  _

 

Before Tony could guilt himself further, goosebumps started to climb up his skin. Alex’s previous excitement had suddenly vanished, the apartment seemed to had darkened considerably, but the lights were still on. The atmosphere had suddenly changed..

 

Walking down the hall, Alex brought him to a door. “This is your room Jamie,” He said, an obviously fake smile on his face. “Go on in~”

 

Tony kept his face neutral, his mismatched eyes looking up at Alex through his lashes, and didn’t move. Alex’s smile grew wider, but more strained. “Well, what are you waiting for? It’s only your room. Go ahead~” He said in the same sickly sweet voice.

 

Slowly, Tony looked toward the darkened room. Even though he didn’t trust the sudden tone Alex had, he would rather be in his- no -Jamie’s room than near him. The genius took a few steps towards the unfamiliar room. However, just as he passed Alex, the young man took that moment to grab Tony’s shoulder, and whisper in his ear.

 

“You fucking retard.”

 

Tony stopped, turning to face Alex quickly. All the happiness and affection had faded, and was replaced with pure and utter contempt. There was still a smile, but now it was a condescending one. 

 

“Why couldn’t you have just dropped dead? Do you know how much happier you would have made everyone?” The brunette sneered,”You fucking slouch, you can’t even die properly. Is there anything else you could screw up that badly?”

 

Tony’s eyes widened underneath his messy bangs. “Huh?” He guffawed.  _ What in the world is this guy’s problem? What did Jamie ever do to him?! _

 

The hand on his lanky shoulder tightened. “ _ Huh? _ ” Alex mocked,”Really? How about instead of drooling like the buffoon you are, you apologize. Did you really miss your hell so bad that you wanted to come back? I knew you were a fucking moron, but how idiotic could you be?”

 

The frown deepened on Tony’s young face. The genius knew that this wasn’t his business, he wasn’t Jamie. But.. This guy was really starting to piss him off.

 

He jerked his shoulder back, feeling a confidence rise in him. “I’m sorry, Alex,” He began, simply to see the satisfied look crawl up his face. 

 

“But,” Tony continued, causing the frown to come back,”I really don’t know why I have to hear that from you.”

 

Alex blinked in surprise, caught off guard. Then, a chuckle escaped his mouth. “You really must have lost your memories, because you’d never talk back to me. I mean, I thought you faking at first.”

 

He leaned forward, blue eyes narrowing. Tony didn’t lean back, not afraid of whatever this asshole was trying to pull. “But how long do you think you can keep up this cute little confident act of yours, baby brother?” He snarled,”I’ve known you your whole life. I know just how much of a coward you really are.”   
  


Alex.. He reminded Tony so much of Ross, of HYDRA goons, of.. Of Team Cap. He was all the bad qualities Tony remembered from the Avengers. But he wasn’t about to let this dickhead walk all over him  _ or  _ Jamie. 

 

“A coward?” Tony echoed,”Me, the coward? You’re the one acting. Pretending to like me around f-father, then trying to scare me into submission. What else do you do behind his back? I wonder just what I can find if I look hard enough..”

 

Alex’s confident look vanished, eyes widening in shock. Tony then made sure to step forward, his eyes steel and firm. “Why don’t you try picking on someone your own size?” He threatened,”If anyone is the coward here, it’s you.”

 

The young man looked incredibly confused and frustrated. His eyes stared straight into Tony’s, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. Finally, he let out an angry yell, turning and stomping away. Tony watched him go, flinching slightly at the loud slamming of the door. 

 

Almost instantly after that, Tony heard loud sobbing that caught him off guard. He turned towards the open door nearby.  _ Is that Lucy? _ He thought, shutting the door to Jamie’s room and walking over to the other door.

 

Inside he saw a crib, and the little limbs waving about inside it. Tony didn’t wait, moving over, and looking down into the crib. Surprisingly, the little girl stopped crying, and turned to look at Tony. 

 

Lucy looked more like Jamie than the father or Alex. She had a head of curly red hair, and the blue eyes that seemed to be a staple in this family. She looked like she could only be six months or younger.

 

There was silence between them for a moment, before the baby giggled. She began to wiggle her little body about, her hands reaching out for him and squeezing the air while her legs kicked out at nothing.

 

Tony felt that warm feeling return, and gave a crooked smile. Reaching into the crib, he hooked his arms underneath the girl’s arms, and lifted her into the air. The little girl squealed, her legs swinging slightly. Her blue eyes remained on Tony, filled with love for the person she saw as her brother.

 

Tony brought the baby to his chest, rocking her gently back and forth in her little room. The sadness started to fade away from her eyes, and she began to look sleepy. Tony felt a small weight on his chest as she fell asleep, going limp in his arms.

 

Everything in the small apartment was silent, except for the gentle breathing that escaped the two of them. 

 

Tony eventually was able to place the baby back into the crib, now fully asleep. Tony never really was around kids growing up, or as his billionaire superhero self. But, holding Lucy, and comforting her.. It just felt right.

 

“Lucy..” He whispered gently,”I know I’m not Jamie.. Well, the real Jamie anyways..  But.. Even though I know that, I’ll protect you, and I’ll care for you no matter what.. Because I’m sure that’s what Jamie would have wanted.” 

 

It was probably the least Tony could do..

 

But it was a promise, and it was one he was going to keep no matter what.


	3. School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has to go back to school, and finds out that Jamie's life is even more horrible there. Then, he makes a decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

“I’m going to school?”

 

Sitting in the living room area a few hours later, Jamie’s father sat across from him, while Alex was making himself some tea in the kitchen, and Lucy was sitting in her playpen. Tony was suddenly faced with another issue. In all the chaos of the strange body switch, he had forgotten that Jamie was in fact a teenager. Teenagers went to school.. And now he was a teenager.

 

Jamie’s father smiled, though it was a weak one, and nodded. “Yes, I finished all the paperwork already,” He explained,”The school said you start school tomorrow.”

 

_ Tomorrow? _ Tony thought incredulously, looking down at the lanky legs. _ I haven’t been to school in nearly 30 years. _ . That wasn’t the only problem though. Tony didn’t know Jamie, how good of a student was Jamie? Was he smart, was he failing? Should he show his true intelligence?

 

Jamie’s father noticed this immediately. “O-of course you don’t have to go back right away, if you still feeling sick or need time to rest I completely understand,” He said nervously,”I thought it was too soon.. I just don’t want you to get behind on work.. But it’s all up to you.”

 

Tony quickly raised his head, and shook it. As much as he wanted to avoid this new predicament, if he stayed away too long, they might get suspicious.. “No no, I was just thinking about it and-”   
  


“Maybe Jamie doesn’t want to go back to school..”

 

Quickly, they both turned towards the sudden interjection by Alex. The older boy was leaning against the counter, innocently taking a drink of his hot tea.

 

“What do you mean, Alex?” Jamie’s father asked. Tony watched the father’s face carefully, noticing his honest tone.  _ So then he doesn’t know how Alex really treats his brother.. _

 

Alex shrugged, moving the cup to his lap. “I probably shouldn’t say this in front of Jay, but..” He began,”On the day of his accident, the police told us that there was a possibility it was a suicide.. It was just a rumor, but Jamie had been acting sad recently.. If something bad happened to him at school, and he jumped because of that.. He may not want to go to school, even if he doesn’t really remember it.. He might on an instinctual level though..”

 

Those blue eyes turned to him, filled with deep hatred. “I’m not sure if going back to school is such a good idea for Jamie..” He said, fake sorrow in his tone,”I’m really sorry I had to say that in front of you, Jay..”

 

Jamie’s father seemed pained, and saddened by his older son’s words. But he couldn’t see the eyes that Tony saw. His eyes, paired with the words he just sprouted.. Tony saw the true meaning. 

 

_ So you’re telling me “Don’t go to school..”  _ Tony thought, narrowing his own mismatched eyes. Tony knew staying at the apartment was probably his safest bet, but he already decided that he wasn’t going to let this asshole walk all over him or Jamie. 

 

“I’m fine,” He declared, making both heads shift over to him quickly. Jamie’s father continued to look worried, but Alex’s eyes narrowed in annoyance and anger.

 

“You’re not trying to push yourself, right? A-are you sure?” The father asked, running a hand through his brown hair, watching Tony nod. “What about what Alex said..?” He nervously tried.

 

“Well, Alex himself said that it’s just speculation. He’s just worried because he cares about me so much, I don’t feel uncomfortable about it at all,” He said,”In fact, I want to go to school.”

 

Alex frowned, while Jamie’s father nodded. “Alright, as long as you think you can do it,” The older man responded, and Tony made sure to give a gentle grin in response.

 

“Don’t worry, dad, I  _ know _ I can do it,” He replied, his eyes flashing towards Alex. He could see the older male’s pale hands tightening around his mug with obvious anger. He suddenly stood up, and walked away. Jamie’s father and Tony watched him go.

 

The older man gave a weary smile, and said,”Don’t worry about Alex, I think he’s just a little stressed out with work, and he really does worry about you,” He replied, and Tony had to fight the urge to laugh.

 

_ I think the fuck not! _ He thought in amusement.  _ That kid would probably light me on fire if he needed to roast some marshmallows, I don’t trust him as far as I could throw him! _

 

But he didn’t want to tell the man that, he obviously had no clue just how cruel Alex was, and after what happened, Tony didn’t feel like he deserved that pain. So, he simply put a soft smile on his face, and replied,”I know he does, you all do. Thank you for caring so much about me.”

 

Jamie’s father smiled in return, and his hand reached out for him. Tony tensed up at first, but relaxed at the feeling of the coarse hand ruffling his messy red hair. “Well, you’re going to have an exciting day tomorrow, so I’ll do dinner tonight, okay?” He declared lovingly.

 

Tony gave another gentle grin, still getting used to the feeling of affection. Jamie’s father was the exact opposite of his own, and it made Tony want to hug him and never let go. But instead, he let the father head over to the kitchen area of the apartment. Meanwhile, Tony took the time to look around.

 

The dark hardwood floors contrasted with the pale color of the walls, and the furniture was all mismatched. There was the white, squishy couch he sat on, and a faux leather chair nearby, along with the wooden couch with pillows that Alex had sat on. The TV was on in front of the white couch, playing a news story about stocks and weather, and in the corner by the wooden couch was a bookshelf that was practically overflowing. The house was a little messy, but it had a warm feeling to it.

 

On the walls, however, were several picture frames of the family Tony suddenly found himself a part of, and they were all much more organized. The man turned teen couldn’t hold in his curiosity, as he slowly crept over to look at them. 

 

There were three pictures in total. One was a frame with three babies in it, and Tony could only guess that one of them, probably the middle one, was Jamie and the other to were Alex and Lucy. The second was a picture of what looked like Alex and Jamie on their first day of school. Alex seemed to have the same facade as normal, wearing normal clothes with a large grin on his face, while Jamie looked downtrodden and afraid, while wearing the uniform Tony had seen in his room.  _ Poor kid, you’ve had it really rough.. _ He thought sadly, before turning his attention to the last photo in the corner.

 

It was a wedding picture, that showed a woman in a beautiful white dress and very messy, curly red hair. Across from her was Jamie’s father, who looked as happy as could be. Tony tilted his head slightly, staring at the woman curiously. That was Jamie’s mother… The resemblance was uncanny, but it begged the question.. Where was she?

 

“BAH!!”   
  


Tony let out a surprised squeak, jerking around to face the noise. It was Lucy, who was sitting up with her hands gripping the bars for support, while she stared at Tony fiercely as if demanding attention.

 

The redhead chuckled slightly, and then moved towards the playpen. The baby began to wiggle excitedly with every step closer, blue eyes bright with excitement, making Tony grin in amusement. His pale arms moved, lifting the child up into his arms. “Hi sweetheart,” He cooed,”Do you need some attention??”

 

Lucy giggled in his arms, her hands clutching at the fabric of his shirt as she babbled on, enjoying the gentle swaying that Tony began to do. His own mismatched eyes watched the baby gently, feeling an extremely overprotective burst of feeling overflow through him. He could have stayed that way for hours, just rocking the baby back and forth..

 

But then a splash of red, white, and blue appeared on the television.

 

Tony’s eyes instantly flew to the television, the headline catching his attention. It was about the Avengers.. Suddenly captivated, he backed over to the white couch and sank back into it, desperate to know what was going on with the Avengers.

 

“The world has been rebuilding from the aftermath of the war with Thanos, and all the Avengers have been helping the best they could,” The news reporter began, her eyes looking down at her papers. “Stark Industries’ CEO, Pepper Potts, has been donating all around the world to help with rebuilding. They are truly an inspiration, especially after the death of their own Tony Stark, who sacrificed himself so that the battle could be won.”   
  


The camera switched to show images of the destroyed New York city, as she continued,”Though no statement has been given yet, the few Avengers who have spoken out have stated that they are going to continue to protect the citizens of the world, because they know that is what Mr. Stark would have wanted. To honor his valiant sacrifice, a statue of the man and the engraved names of fallen citizens, soldiers, and anyone else who perished during the battle will be created, though where it will be located is still unknown. No matter where it will be, I think we are all thankful for the heroism of Tony Stark and the other Avengers. May he rest in peace.. In other news-”

 

Tony tuned out the rest of the woman’s news, focusing on all the information he had just heard. _ So…. Everyone was else is okay then? I’m the only Avenger who ‘died’? _ Tony thought thankfully That’s good, the world will need them after all this.. I think that for now, the best I can do is lay low. The world will be fine without me, they never needed me. But the world needs the Avengers, and if I had to die to make sure they all survived, then it was worth it.

 

“Jamie! Dinner’s just about ready!”

 

Tony turned towards the voice, quickly calling,” I'll be right there!” The genius adjusted the baby in his arms, his eyes turning towards the image of the Avengers one last time, before he turned and walked out of the living room.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

The Next Day

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

_ Why did I agree to this..? _

 

After his decision yesterday, Tony now found himself front of the school, the large building seeming to intimidate him simply by existing. He was wearing a cream colored cardigan with a white dress shirt underneath it, along with black uniform pants, a book bag on his shoulder. All around him, students in the same uniforms were whispering and staring, as if he was a some kind of anomaly. 

 

Tony let out a small groan, squeezing the bag’s strap for a moment before quickly walking towards the entrance into the building.  _ Now that I’m here, there really is no turning back..  _ He thought.  _ I’ll just have to deal with it, after all, it is just school, what’s the worst that could happen? _

 

“Whoa! So the rumors are true, then! You're back!” A loud, snobbish voice suddenly said, causing Tony to turn his mismatched eyes around. Before he could get a good view however, a strong arm lied itself upon his lanky shoulders, and another person leaned over to stare at him, his piercing brown eyes seeming to stare straight through him. Turning his head, he suddenly realized that there  were several people around him. 

 

“It's  _ so  _ fucking amazing to see you again, Jamie,” The voice purred,”Do you know how much I missed you? I was  _ so  _ worried~”

 

_ What is this..?  _ Tony frowned, narrowing his eyes at the short haired teen. “And.. Who are you?” He queried in confusion.

 

The teen in front of him blanked, then suddenly burst out laughing. “HA!” He cried,”Seriously?! You're not faking it? You actually got amnesia?!”

 

The others around him began to laugh even harder, as another remarked,”Of course someone like  _ you  _ would manage to do that.. Always trying to escape reality, haha!”

 

Tony frowned, mismatched eyes taking in the sight before him, and the turned backs of everyone else around them. He now could see just what kind of life that Jamie had lived..

 

_ People around you just tried to use you, while everyone else ignored it and stood by.. And with Alex strutting around at home, you never had a chance to feel safe, did you? You were utterly alone.. Just like..  _ Tony’s eyes widened.  _ Just like me… _

 

A sudden burst of determination flew through Tony, and a small huff of amusement escaped past his lips. He jerked his shoulder, using his hand to slap it away. All the laughing around him stopped, onlookers watching curiously.

“You're all idiots,” He sternly declared,”If you're going to pretend to be my friends, try and put some actual effort into it, okay?” 

 

With one ice cold glare, he pulled away from the group of shocked frozen teens, ignored the surprised onlookers, and made his way up into the school. He had nothing left to say to them. 

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The young teacher in front of Tony hugged slightly. “Your father informed me of what happened,” The teacher began,“Well, starting in the middle of your second year will be a little tough, but with hard work, I'm sure you can catch up.”

 

Tony huffed slightly, before nodding. “Y-yes sir,” He stuttered out quickly, looking down at his feet. _ This is going to take some getting used to.. _

 

The teacher then nodded, and then led Tony from his office to the classroom that as labelled 2-1. He slid the door open, and called,”Alright everyone, take your seats!”

 

The chatter in the room came to a close, and suddenly all eyes were on him. Not about to let them think he was afraid, he quickly narrowed his eyes, before moving to the seat in the front that the teacher directed him to. As he sat down, Tony released a huge, exhausted sigh, and slouched in his seat. 

 

_ Something tells me that today is going to be a long day.. _

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Tony’s later found out that his suspicions were entirely correct.

 

All throughout the day, he found himself struggling with the new culture he found himself in. The work was easy. After all, he was Tony Stark. But everything else was completely different from anything about school he remembered.

 

After the first bell, Tony ended up getting in trouble because he didn’t know that students stayed in the room and teachers were the ones that moved. Then, the second teacher yelled at him for still wearing his outdoor shoes.  _ Outdoor shoes?!  _ Tony wanted to scream And what the fuck are outdoor shoes?!

 

The student around him seemed to find everything he got in trouble for absolutely hilarious, and it was annoying Tony throughout the day to no end. It didn’t help that they were constantly staring at him as well, whispering or glaring.  _ Let them try anything, they’ll be sorry if they do. _

 

But as bad as the day was, nothing could have prepared him for what happened at the end of the day.

 

The gentle bell rang, alerting the eager students that it was finally time to go home. As everyone began to head out, the teacher called,”And remember to finish translating the last few sentences of the passage to English at home.”

 

_ Thank god! _ Tony thought in relief. He was desperate to go back to the apartment, wanting to get on the internet and research more about the culture of Japan. It seemed like, since he was probably stuck like this, that was the best idea.

 

Before he could leave, however, a large hand landed on his shoulder. Tony tensed under the hand, before turning around to meet the eyes of the middle aged English teacher, whose name was Furukawa- _ sensei _ . He had a gentle smile on his face, and quickly said,”Except you, Jamie. I need to talk to you about the curriculum you missed.”

 

Something about the situation seemed strange, but he pushed it aside. “Uh.. Sure,” He responded, picking up the book bag and walking up to the teacher’s desk.

 

Furukawa made him wait a bit, moving to finish erasing the chalkboard. Tony took that time to look around the room, noticing the empty desks and closed doors. Something really felt wrong.. 

 

The man placed the eraser down, which clacked the chalk nearby slightly. Then, he turned around, smiling and sitting down at the desk. “So, Jamie, how have you been? Are you okay after the hospital?” He questioned, voice dripping with empty concern. 

 

Standing awkwardly, Tony quickly replied,”I’m fine, sir…” The man hummed in return to his words, his dark eyes examining the lanky body in front of him. 

 

“Good… That’s good..” Furukawa replied, staring a little longer. Suddenly, he stood up, walking around the desk and in front it, now looming over the teenager. Tony frowned deeply once more, taking a slow step back. “So, I heard you got amnesia from the accident… Is that true?” He asked again.

 

“Yes it is,” Tony replied quickly,”B-but I don't see what this has to do with my missed work.”

 

Furukawa suddenly looked upset. “Oh, but it has a lot to do with it, Jamie,” He purred, his hand touching Tony’s cheek and forcing the redhead to face him. “Because if you lost your memories, it means that you don't remember our relationship. You don't remember  _ us. _ ”

 

_ This is wrong. I need to get out of here..  _ Tony thought quickly, desperately trying to back away as fast as possible. But the man had an iron grip on his wrists, and Jamie’s body was weaker than Tony’s was. 

 

The man’s hands quickly transferred to his waist, as he leaned forward. “But don't worry, I’ll help you remember,” He whispered, before pushing his nasty, slimy lips against Tony’s. The genius was so shocked at what was happening that he was unable to stop Furukawa’s tongue from sliding into his mouth, exploring it deeply.

 

Tony felt his breath pick up, as he forced the lanky body he not inhabited to struggle, pushing against the man’s chest. This only seemed to anger the teacher, however, as he tightened his grip before violently pushing him away. Tony stumbled, falling backwards and knocking some desks down with him. 

 

“It's okay, Jamie,” The man’s sweet voice cooed,”I’ll let you off the hook this time. But soon enough, I'm sure you'll remember.”

 

The man turned teen took a frantic breath, before standing, and running out of the room as fast as possible. He was breathing hard with panic already, but forced himself to keep going, until he reached the restrooms. Pushing the door open, he ran in, slammed it shut, and flattened himself against the tile wall.

 

It took several breaths for Tony to manage to calm down, and relax as much as he could. Finally, he let out a deep breath, and looked around the empty, grey bathroom. His lanky arms went to hug himself, Stalking over to the mirror on the wall.

 

He was faced with the mismatched eyes filled with fear, the red hair a frizzy disaster, and the uniform dirtied from his fall. As those eyes caught sight of the soft lips, he cringed, before turning the sink on, splashing water in his face, and rubbing his lips violently with his sleeve.

 

Looking back up at himself, at the body he now inhabited, he started to wonder just how many times the real Jamie had done this. How many times that  _ monster  _ had touched him. Tony felt disgusted and horrified. But most of all, he felt sadness. Not for him, but for the previous soul that had this body, for Jamie.

 

“You dealt with this for so long..” He whispered,”Alex, the assholes at school, and that pedophile.. You could have said something.. But then again, who would have taken your word? People must have never stopped to help you.. You always had to fend for yourself.. Jamie.. We’re much more alike than I thought..”

 

The kid was almost exactly like Tony. Only used by others if they wanted something from him, alone constantly, and betrayed by those close to him. He had suffered and suffered, until he finally gave into the pain. 

 

A strong feeling grew inside Tony, before settling in his heart. Staring into those mismatched eyes, he made a decision. He wasn't just going to sit idly by anymore. No, he was going to do so much more than that. 

 

“This isn't going to stand,” He firmly declared,”I’m not going to let  _ us  _ get pushed around anymore, Jamie. I don't know where you are, but if you're listening, just know this. I’m going to fight for both of us, I won’t let us- I won’t let  _ you  _ get hurt anymore.”

 

With resolve that Tony had never felt before, he grabbed his book bag, and stormed towards the entrance of the school, and towards home. He felt determination that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

 

_ Let them try and bully Jamie, let Alex try and force him into things, let that bastard teacher try and touch us again. Let them try _ **_anything_ ** _ , let them all try. But they’ll never hurt us again. _

 

_ I’ll avenge you Jamie, no matter how long it takes.. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Tony begins to get revenge for Jamie, and tries to figure out some things about himself and what he should do now.


	4. Fighting Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony begins his carefully laid revenge plot, and discovers that Alex has something to hide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait! I got my first job, and testing has been rough. SAT, ACT, ugh! Still have the AP tests too. Slowly dying inside.
> 
> Enjoy!

If there was anything Tony learned from his life, it was that revenge was best served cold. He knew that Jamie’s body wasn’t strong enough to handle fighting just yet, but there was time to fix that. He had plans, lots of them, and everyone who hurt Jamie was going to feel his wrath.

 

Tony started with the teenagers who approached him his first day at school. They had been out to get him since the day he had called them out. The genius had an idea about why they wanted Jamie as their ‘friend’. So, after a night of contemplation, he allowed them to catch him.

 

That was what led him to his situation, held against the wall by the brunette with piercing eyes from before, a red mark on his right cheek from where he had been hit, a split lip, and a black eye beginning to form. His fist was poised, ready to hit the teen once more as his friends stood in the background. 

 

“W-wait!” Tony cried out, forcing his mismatched eyes to fill with fear, raising his hands to protect his face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I said that yesterday! Please don’t hurt me!”

 

The brunette snorted, lowering his fist. He grabbed Tony’s dress shirt, yanking hard enough to throw him to the ground. “Weak little shit, can’t even take more than one punch, can you?” He snarled, gaining laughter from the group behind them.

 

The teen then knelt down next to the redhead, a smirk crawling up his cruel face. “Don’t worry Jamie,” He mocked,”We’ll give you one last chance to prove yourself, okay?”

 

Tony forced a sniff, nodding feverishly toward them. The satisfied look on the asshole’s face almost made Tony wipe it off, but he had to stick to the plan. “Y-yes! What-whatever you want I’ll do it!”

 

After hearing the redhead’s (supposedly) genuine plea, the brunette grabbed some papers from his backpack, shoving them in his victim’s face. 

 

“These papers are the major exam we’re having in math tomorrow, we stole them from the teachers’ office” He explained,”Solve the problems and give them back to us, okay?”

 

Tony nodded feverishly once more, and the other got up, walking away with a confident swagger. The redhead watched them go for a while, waiting until they turned the corner before he gathered up the papers.

 

His mismatched eyes turned up, and seeing that nobody was around him, he allowed a very sadistic smirk to crawl up his face.  _ You all made this too easy!  _ He thought in absolute glee.

 

Kneeling down, he gathered the papers up, placing them in his book bag, and got to his feet. The rest of the day, Tony went through the motions of acting like a frightened young man. This made the bullies look rather proud, thinking they had won.

 

Little did they know what storm was about to hit them..

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The next day, Tony returned to completed papers with a nervous smile. The group’s tune suddenly seemed to change now that he had done what they wanted, back to their fake plastic ways. The brunette who had punched him the day before even ruffled his hair in a brotherly way. It made the anger Tony already felt boil into rage.

 

_ So that’s how they controlled you.  _ He realized  _ Not just with fear, but with false promises of friendship. But it was all fake.. You knew that too, didn’t you?  _

 

He yanked a shy smile onto his face, containing it long enough so that they would leave. Once they sweetly gave their goodbyes, with a false promise of hanging out later, the smile fell. His mismatched eyes narrowed in barley contained anger, he took a deep, long breath, and began to force tears from his eyes.

 

As soon as he was crying hard enough, he took off in run towards the counselor’s office, nearly tripping over the long legs in the process. As soon as he found the door, he slid it open, releasing a shaky gasp for effect.

 

The counselor at the desk, Namie Ogiwara, jumped, turning to look up at him. Her brown eyes widened, noticing the injuries that graced his face. “Mr. Macintyre?” She queried,”What happened to you?”

 

She quickly pushed away from her desk, moving to examine his wounds closer. Tony flinched at her close proximity, before letting out a few more sobs. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Ogiwara! I’m sorry!” He cried,”I was- I was j-just so scared!”

 

“Scared of what?” The counselor worriedly asked,”Who did this to you?”

 

Tony sniffed, putting on a facade of fear. “I-if I tell you.. I’m afraid they’ll hurt me again,” He quietly declared.

 

Ogiwara’s face morphed into anger, but the glimmer in her eyes showed that to wasn’t aimed at him. “This is a prestigious school doesn’t tolerate bullying, Jamie. Whoever did this will be expelled.” 

 

Tony turned his eyes up to her. “R-really?” He asked, wringing his fingers in front of him. When the woman nodded, he made sure to take several deep breaths before continuing.

 

“Iho Hamada and his f-friends.. They attacked me. They stole the math exam key from the teachers room and threatened to hurt me if I didn’t give them the answers. I’m sorry! I really am! I was just s-so scared!” He cried, falling back into tears once more. 

 

Namie gently cooed, rubbing his back. “It’s okay, Jamie,” She promised,”I understand why you did it. I’ll explain everything to your math teacher, and we’ll make sure Iho and his friends pay for hurting you, and cheating on a major exam.”

 

She led him out of the counselor room, and to the nurses’ office. There he was given an ice pack for his injuries and told to wait while they checked security cameras and confronted the students responsible. Tony have a sniffle and a shaky nod, lowering his head as he listened to them leave.

 

After the door slid shut, clicking against the other side of the doorway, a smile crawled up his face. His plan turned out perfect. Those brats would never be able to recover from his carefully laid revenge plan.

 

The teens had been pulled to the principal's office during math, funnily enough. When confronted with the footage of attacking Jamie, they quickly tried to blame each other. In the end, they were all expelled. 

 

As they were escorted off campus, Tony watched from the window. Iho, the most angry of all, noticed the bright red hair, and turned his dark eyes towards him. When they made eye contact, Tony allowed a satisfied smirk to crawl up his face. He then raised a pale hand, and gave a goodbye wave. 

 

Tony knew though, that Iho wasn’t about to let getting expelled stop him from getting revenge against him.  _ Let him try anything.  _ He thought firmly.  _ I’ll show him what it truly means to be an avenger.  _

 

— — — — — —

 

“Are you sure you’re okay!?”

 

“Dad, I’m fine-“

 

“No you’re not! Why didn’t you tell me they were bullying you!?”

 

Jamie’s father definitely was protective of his kids, Tony knew that for sure as he sat in the small kitchen with the man fussed over him. The second the school had called him, he had run over to pick him up and bring Tony home.

 

“It’s okay, I’m fine,” Tony promised,”I was just.. Afraid at first. But.. I figured out the only way to stop it was to face it.”

 

The older man looked surprised, before letting a big smile climb up his face. “I’m proud of you for standing up to yourself,” He declared,”But next time, please talk to me about it. I know you’re still trying to remember things, but I’m your father. If someone is hurting you, I want you to tell me. Not spend time doing  _ their  _ work for the math exam.”

 

Tony allowed a smirk to crawl up his face once more, mismatched eyes shining mischievously. “Don’t worry, I didn’t waste any time,” He replied,”The answers were completely wrong anyway.”

 

The older man snorted in surprise, an amused smile crawling up his face. The pride in his blue eyes was enough to make a warm feeling flow through Tony. Howard never looked at him that way,  _ never.  _ To have someone who was proud of him.. It felt amazing, and he never wanted to let that feeling go.

 

After he was done bandaging up Tony, his eyes grew soft. “Jamie,” He firmly said,”You’re strong, and very brave. Don’t let them tell you otherwise.”

 

The warmth Tony felt turned into burning determination, and he gave a wide smile. “Don’t worry dad,” He declared,”They never will.”

 

— — — — — —

 

Things did not get easier after that, but Tony wasn’t expecting it to. Just because the main problem was gone didn’t mean there weren’t others. But he wasn’t about to back down, not by a long shot. 

 

Wherever he went, he kept his head held high, mismatched eyes staring down anymore who dared to try and hurt him. The intimidation and sudden courage caused a lot of people to leave him alone, but not everyone. 

 

One day, after school, Tony was cleaning the floors by the bathroom alone. He didn’t mind it much, it was nice to just work and think. However, the peace couldn’t last forever. During his work, three girls wandered towards where he was. They walked like a pack, all swaying their hips, and texting on their phones.

 

One girl, the closest to the left, looked up and noticed him as they turned the corner. A smirk crawled up her lips, as she nudged the girl in the middle. “Nanami-chan, look who it is,” She whispered,”Isn’t that the kid who got your boyfriend expelled?”

 

Nanami, who was wearing red lipstick, eye shadow, and had her dyed blonde hair in a long style, looked up from her phone. The second her eyes caught that obnoxious red hair, she felt rage.  _ Iho is expelled, stuck in a public school because of that brat.  _ The teen thought. 

 

Turning to the two girls at her sides, she whispered,”If that little brat thinks he’s invincible now, he’s in for a rude awakening! Let’s go girls.”

 

She sashayed towards the boy, reaching into her book bag and pulling out a makeup bottle filled with black liquid. She unscrewed the cap, before flicking the bottle hard. The black liquid splattered all over the boy, causing him to jump in surprise, and she tossed the rest of it to the bucket of water he had been using. The water turned a black color.

 

Tony frowned, turning his mismatched eyes to the laughing girls. Nanami smirked, placing her hands on her hips with an sadistic chuckle. “Maybe you should fix yourself before you try cleaning anything else, gay boy,” She sneered,”But then again, nothing could ever fix the disaster you are. Take this as a lesson, and make sure to jump from a higher building next time!”

 

The girls giggled, turning down the hall once more to walk away. Tony frowned, eyes narrowing with a calculated gaze. Without saying a word, he grabbed the bucket of black water, using his lanky legs to catch up. Just as the girls started to turn around, he threw his arm forward, slamming the nasty water straight into their faces. 

 

They let out girlish screams, their makeup beginning to fall off as the black stained the clothes. Tony could only smile, dropping the bucket to the ground. “You know, I heard that witches melt when they’re hit with water, I never thought it was true though,” He declared snidely. 

 

The girls all waved their hands at their faces, sobbing and taking off running to desperately try and save face. Students around the school watched them run away, wondering who would dare put such bitchy students in their place. 

 

— — — — — — 

 

The next day, Tony walked into his classroom to see his desk covered in slurs  like “Faggot” and “Slut” in permanent marker. Walking closer, he found a nasty washcloth and sharpie on top. The teen cringed, lifting it up with as little amount of contact as possible.  _ That’s fucking disgusting..  _ He thought. 

 

Turning towards the door, he heard the giggles of a very familiar girl.  _ Nanami, that bitch _ He snarled within  _ Thinks she can beat me this easily? Well she’s in for a nasty surprise. _

 

It would be a half hour later, when the class actually began, a group of chattering girls wandered towards the door, sliding it open. The disgusting smell instantly flew into their faces, causing them to slam the door closed again. 

 

“What the fuck is that?! It’s disgusting!” They exclaimed, frantically talking amongst each other. Nanami groaned, her hand going to her nose.  _ Where did that smell come from? The only thing that smelled in there was the washcloth.. _

 

Her eyes widened in realization, and she whipped around towards the hallway. Leaning against the wall was the lanky Jamie, ignoring the frantic students. He was acting innocent, but Nanami knew exactly what he did. 

 

Right before she spoke, their teacher wandered into the hall. He frowned, turning his beady eyes to them before he snapped,”Hey! What’s going on here!? Why aren't you in your seats!?”

 

He slid the door open, and was abruptly blasted by the dogmatic smell. He turned around, looking at the students. “Who is responsible for this!?” He demanded, wrinkles multiplying with the downcast face. 

 

Nanami felt panic explode through her. If anyone found out what she had done, she was dead for sure. She quickly formulated a plan.

 

“YOU!” She yelled, pointing her perfectly manicured finger at him. The redhead looked towards her, easing an eyebrow up.

 

His calm reaction, not even a smirk or surprise, made her angry. “Don't you dare act like that!” She snapped,”I know you did this!! I saw you leave! Why would you do this?!”

 

The old teacher narrowed his eyes, looking at the frantic Nanami before turning towards the calm teen. “Is this true, Mr. Macintyre?” He questioned. 

 

Tony had to hide his smirk. He knew this would happen. He opened his eyes wide, giving an innocent look. “Why would I do such a thing?” He innocently said,”It seems really unfair to accuse me..”

 

Turning to classroom, he walked to his own desk, still covered in slurs. He gestured towards it with a pale hand. “My desk is in the worst condition, why would I do this to my  _ own  _ desk?” He questioned.

 

The teacher frowned even deeper, rubbing his wrinkled chin. “Yes, that is very true,” He replied, before turning towards Nanami again. 

 

“How rude, blaming another student for an incident they had nothing to do with!” He snapped. The girl jerked back in surprise, her face pale with shock. With her jerky movements, a large clatter could be heard.

 

The teacher’s beady eyes turned towards the ground, noticing that a large, bulky permanent marker had just fallen from the girl’s bag. Nanami followed his gaze, her eyes widening in terror.  _ How did that get there?! I left it on Jamie’s desk! _

 

“I knew it!” The teacher snapped,”You defaced school property, lied to me, blamed another student! I expected more of a student like you! Go to the counselor now!”

 

Nanami opened her mouth, beginning to protest, before bursting into tears again, and storming down the hall. She frantically wiped her face, as anger boiled deep within her.  _ Jamie, you bastard! How dare you do this to me!! _

 

She sniffled, yanking her phone out of her bag and typing frantically.  _ I’ll get you! You won’t get away with this! _

 

_ Just you wait! _

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

His first week of school had passed rather quickly, but it left Tony with a rejuvenated sense of confidence. No longer would anyone treat him or Jamie like a doormat. He had already gained a reputation at the school for not taking shit, which shocked the students greatly. I still have to deal with the pedo teacher, but I can worry about that later. He decided.

 

He released a heavy sigh, flopping back on the small bed after a long Friday. It was twin sized with indigo colored sheets, on a mahogany bed frame. The room itself was a simple white color, with light mahogany flooring as well. There was a desk, dressed, bookshelf, and a single picture frame on the desk but that was it. It was a photo of Jamie and his mother, who looked exactly like her son, minus her green eyes. 

 

All in all, the room was barren for someone Jamie's age. Not a single trinket or nostalgic items, not even a poster. It frustrated Tony a bit, because even though he now was living this boy’s life, he still knew nothing about him.

 

With a sigh slid off the bed, slipping into his house slippers, grabbed his bag, and wandered back into the rest of the apartment. It was empty, as he had arrived just after the school day. Strangely, the day had been without incident, Nanami hadn’t even so much as looked in his direction. Maybe she finally learned her lesson?

 

The genius pulled out a container of blueberries from the fridge, popping a few in his mouth. The redhead moved to the couch, leaving the container on the table, and placing the notebook in his lap. He flipped to his homework, and began to speed through it as fast as he could. It was more difficult than he remembered from American high school, but he was still a genius, so everything was pretty easy.

 

Before he could completely finish, the blaring of his phone caught his attention. He turned to grab it, sliding the green button, and bringing it to his ear. “Hello?” He asked.

 

“Oh!” Jamie’s father exclaimed,”Thank goodness you’re home, Jamie! I completely forgot to get the groceries for dinner tonight, and I won’t be home till late since I have to go pick up Lucy. Can you or Alex grab the groceries?”   
  


Tony scrunched up his face at the mention of his annoying sort of-brother. “Alex isn’t home yet, dad,” He responded,”I got home and it was empty.”

 

There was a curious noise on the other side of the phone. “Strange… I thought he was off work at noon today.. Maybe he has some kind of activity at Uni?” He asked, more to himself than to Tony.

 

“Don’t worry dad, I’ll take care of it!” He replied quickly, making sure his growing suspicion of Alex didn’t reach his voice. 

 

He heard a large sigh of relief on the other side of the phone. “Thanks,” Jamie’s dad spoke thankfully,”I’ll be back around seven, stay safe, I love you!”

 

“Okay, bye!” Tony ended, closing the phone quickly. He felt slight guilt for not replying to the end, but it just didn’t feel right. He wasn’t Jamie, that man wasn’t his father, he didn’t deserve to take that love. It wasn’t his.

 

Pushing away the dark thoughts, Tony put his bag away, and was about to leave when he heard a shaking of the lock. Quickly, the teen jumped to a hiding spot in the living room. Finally, the door opened, and Tony noticed a familiar figure. It was Alex, still wearing his fast food uniform. 

 

He slammed the door shut with a grumble, the mail in one hand and phone in another. “I know, but I can’t come tonight!” He declared in Japanese, pushing the door shut with his body. 

 

There was silence, before he spoke again. “Because if my dad or my piece of shit brother finds out about it then- Ugh! I'll call you back later, I don't want the fucker to hear anything.” he snarled. 

 

Tony chanced a peek from his spot behind the couch, and watched the brunette flip through the several envelopes. One, however, made him freeze. His blue eyes widened, and he quickly ripped it in two pieces, throwing it into the bin by the door. The redhead then tossed the rest of the mail on the tablet, and crossed down the hallway. 

 

Tony waited until he heard the sound of a door slam shut before jumping out of his hiding spot. He stumbled over his lanky legs, and then quickly ran to the bin. 

 

He pulled the two torn pieces out, when a frantic worry ran through his head.  _ What if Alex checks the bin?  _ He thought worriedly.

 

Quickly, the genius shook the letter within the envelope out and onto the floor. Placing the envelope back where he found it, he gathered up the pieces of the letter, shoving them into the large pocket on his hoodie. 

 

_ I don't want to wait around, Alex is already worried that I'm onto him.  _ Tony decided, and was suddenly thankful to have the excuse of getting groceries. 

 

He shut the door, running down to the elevator, and speed walking out of the lobby. He looked back at the elevator, but it remained closed. He sighed in relief, and then slowed down to a walk. The city moved around him, filled with bright signs and the orange light of slowly lowering sun. 

 

Instead of heading straight to the store, Tony stopped at the  Ueno Park, sitting down at a bench, and pulling out the torn papers. His pale hands unfolded them, and slowly pulled them together. When he had the pieces put together, with even the torn parts aligned, he was able to see exactly what it said.

 

_ Dear Alex, _

 

_ It has been several months since you pulled out from our classes, and we have yet to hear back from you as to why. Please respond, and help us turn the University of Tokyo into a better environment for future students. _

 

_ Thank you. _

 

Tony’s mismatched eyes widened. _ Alex dropped out of Uni?! But he has been going to classes almost every day, and he collected a check from da- Jamie’s dad for fees just yesterday! _

 

Irrational anger filled the brunette.  _ Alex, you bastard.. _ He was lying to them all, and based on the conversation that Tony had overheard, there was more to it. 

 

“Alex..” He snarled,”Just what are you hiding?”

 

Tony truly had no idea, but he did know that he wouldn’t stop until he found out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, hope it was worth it!
> 
> Next Chapter: Tony gets the groceries, and runs into some trouble.


	5. Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes shopping, and comes home with more than groceries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little more tame, because I'm working towards the climax of what you would call part one. I have a plan, I just need to figure out how to put it together.

The Inageya supermarket was a new experience, but Tony enjoyed it. Every day he remained in Japan, the more he found himself getting immersed in the society. While he had gone to Japan on business trips, he mostly just went to meetings or got drunk in the… Less desirable areas of the cities. Living as an actual citizen was a much different experience.

The redhead wandered through the aisles, grabbing the items from the list that Jamie’s father had sent him. He was salivating at the thought of dinner, and he couldn’t help it. He stopped near checkout, and read over the list again.

 _Horse mackerel, rice, eggs, bonito flakes, and tofu. I think I have everything!_ He thought proudly. As he headed to pay, he saw something on one of the shelves. It was a small, red and gold phone keychain; more specifically an Iron Man keychain.

Tony didn’t really know why, but he felt a strange sort of nostalgia. Even though it had only been a while since he had become Jamie, Iron Man felt so much like a distant memory. He reached out, pulling out one of the smaller keychains.

Memories passed by his mismatched eyes, the Avengers and the good times they had. His reunion with Rogers before Thanos was defeated. Although he was saddened by that thought, he also thought of it a different way. This was his new life, and the Avengers could go on without him. Tony would remember them fondly though.

He smiled, placing it into his basket, and heading to checkout. It was time to go home.

\-- -- -- -- -- --

The streets were a little crowded, considering work hours for many places had just ended. So, Tony took a shortcut through one of the nearby side streets.

One hand was holding the bag of groceries, while the other held the phone. He shook it a little, watching the keychain move around. _Does this count as narcissism?_ He wondered amusedly.

Tony turned another corner, wincing at the sunlight that began reflecting off his phone. He pulled the electronic a little further back, to the point he could see his own reflection. That's when he saw it, something behind him that was coming towards him fast-

The redhead whipped around, backing away, but not fast enough to avoid it completely. A crack rang through the air, and Tony cried out, falling to the ground. His head throbbed in pain, but he forced his eyes open to see who his attacker was.

Iho Hamada.

Holding a now blood splattered bat over his shoulder, a sadistic grin rising onto his face. “Hey fag,” He sneered,”You thought you could get away from us that easy?” As if that was the code word, several of the other bullies appeared around corners, holding weapons.

Tony’s mismatched eyes widened, frantically trying to figure out how to escape. The way he had come from was blocked, he was surrounded. He turned his head back to Iho. “L-listen, you don’t have to do this!” He shakily tried,”We can just walk away.”

Iho burst into laughter, crazed eyes staring down at him. “Not gonna happen, Jamie!,” He snapped,”You hurt my girl, you hurt our pride, and you go us expelled! No amount of begging will save you! When we’re done with you, they won’t even be able to scrape your guts off the pavement!”

In a moment of pure adrenaline, Tony grabbed the jar of Tsukemono, and threw it as hard as he could. It collided with Iho’s face, and shattered from the hard impact. Iho screamed, broken glass, cuts, and vinegar creating an inferno on his face.

Jumping to his feet, Tony shoved his way through the stunned men, running as fast as his long legs would take him. His world was spinning, but he knew he had to keep going. The second he saw another opening, he would run down it, taking a zigzag pattern throughout the city’s alleyways.

His head throbbed harder, and he found that his breathing was growing faster. Jamie’s body was much weaker than his own, and he ran out of breath much faster. The next time he turned a corner, he stumbled and crashed into the wall, landing on the hard ground below him.

Tony’s weak, shaky limbs wouldn’t hold him up, but he could hear them coming. _Oh god… They’re going to catch me!_ Just as the black began to crawl further in his vision, he was grabbed. The light from the sun suddenly faded, and he was thrown to the side.

His legs tripped over several things, before he slammed into the back of something hard. Everything was spinning, he was too delirious to understand what was going on.

Before he could even try to figure out what was going on, the darkness that had been slowly creeping up on him completely pulled Tony under, and unconsciousness claimed him.

\-- -- -- -- -- --

When he opened his eyes, he was at school.

 _What the…?_ Tony wondered, looking around the room in utter confusion. He recognized the room instantly, it was the school’s gym storage room. _But… This doesn’t make sense… Why am I here?_

The door suddenly slid open, revealing two very familiar figures. It was Furukawa and… Jamie?!

Tony’s eyes widened, turning to look down at himself. Sure enough, he saw his tanned, calloused hands and the glow of the arc reactor. He turned his eyes back toward the scene. _If I’m not in Jamie’s body and I’m watching as an outsider, then this must be… A memory?_

Jamie kept his head lowered, looking completely defeated. Furukawa was smiling as he shut the door, locking it with a click that echoed through the room. He then turned, wrapping his arms around Jamie’s shoulder, and nuzzling his face into his neck. The sight filled Tony with anger and disgust.

The redhead’s hands were shaking, and after a few moments of behind held, he whispered,”I don't want to do this…”

Furukawa made a soft, understanding noise. “Oh Jamie,” He whispered,”You know that I'm only here to comfort you. With your mother gone, it's only a short time before your father decides to join her. Isn't it better to have someone who will help you?”

Tony felt rage build up inside him at the teacher's words. But, the man continued. “After all, your family won't be able to pay for a funeral now that you only have one source of income,” He whispered, and pulled out a stack of 2,000 yen bills.

Jamie's eyes stared at the money in shock, before he took a step back. “No.. No I can't..” The teen croaked.

Furukawa sighed like a disappointed parent, and shook the cash again. “I thought you loved your mother,” He sneered,”You want her body to just rot away and never get the proper burial it deserves? How selfish of you… No wonder your father never wants to be with you.”

“You bastard!!!” Tony yelled, seething with an inferno of emotions. Neither figure reacted to his voice.

Instead, he saw tears began to tumble down Jamie's cheeks. There were a few sniffles, before it broke out into full blown sobs. He turned, burying himself in Furukawa's chest. Tony could feel the disgust that Jamie felt, but the teenager was so desperate for comfort, he would even hug his rapist.

Furukawa’s dark smile returned, and he wrapped his arms very low on Jamie’s waist. “It’s alright, Jamie,” He whispered,”Since nobody else will, I’ll take care of you.”

Tony could only watch in horror as the teacher’s hands slid down, pulling down his pants as he brought Jamie’s face up, and connected their lips in a bruising kiss. His other hand slid up the teen’s shirt, pushing him against the wall. As they went farther and farther, Tony could only continue to watch in complete horror.

He felt so much pity and sadness for Jamie, the boy whose life was now his. He felt utter disgust and hatred toward Furukawa, for taking advantage of Jamie at such a horrible time in his life. No matter what, he would destroy everything that man held dear.

_“Why did I do it?”_

Tony gasped, looking around the memory in complete confusion. It was an echo-like version of Jamie’s voice, but he saw nothing that could have whispered that. _Is Jamie watching this too?_

_“Why did I listen to him?”_

The memory began to melt away, like wax off a candle. “Jamie..” Tony whispered, watching the image of the teen vanish. “I won’t let him get away with this anymore, I promise. I’ll make him regret everything.”

He watched Furukawa’s face melt away, wishing that he could be the one to cause that, until darkness was all that could see.

\-- -- -- -- -- --

When Tony woke up the second time, there was pain again. He groaned, and then froze. His voice was back to Jamie’s, which by now was more familiar than his own.j Tony relaxed for a moment, before he remember what situation he had been in.

His mismatched eyes snapped open, moving to sit up as fast as he could. Instead of being in the back of a van or a basement like he expected, he was in a… Break room? It had a few sets of chairs, a microwave on a nearby counter, and countless shelves filled with dog food nearby.

Despite the pain in his head, he sat up a little further. “What the…” He whispered, turning his head. That’s when he realized he wasn’t alone. His soft mutter had caught the eyes of someone nearby. It was a girl that looked about his- er… Jamie’s.. _Ugh, fuck it, my age._ Who had black hair put in a high ponytail, with bangs and a little hair on the sides. She was wearing a striped black and white shirt, and light blue jean shorts with silver stars engraved on them.

When she saw Tony staring at her, she grabbed two silver sticks on her side, and stood up with their support. _Oh, those are crutches._ Tony realized, sitting up even further as the girl limped out the door nearby. “Hey! Atsuko! He’s awake!” Her soft voice called out.

She returned seconds later with an tall, muscular looking teen. He had messy hair that reached his shoulders, and was wearing what looked like a retail uniform. The girl moved first, limping a little closer and saying,”Hey, you alright?”

“I… Think so?” Tony awkwardly muttered, ignoring the throbbing in his head. “What happened to me?”

“I saw you running,” The tall Atsuko explained,”I heard the footsteps behind you. Pulled you in here, you fainted.”

Tony was a little surprised by the blunt, montone way the teen spoke, but grateful nonetheless. “Thank you for helping me, I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t pulled me in here,” He replied.

The girl giggled a bit. “You would have gotten your ass beat, that’s what would have happened!” She teased.

“Quite the charmer, aren’t you?” Tony snarked in amusement, causing the girl to giggle and Atsuko to smile in amusement.

With the support of her crutches, the girl gave a little bow, and said,”I’m Murakami Chikara, and this is my friend Kaneko Atsuko, and you are Macintyre Jamie.”

“You know me?” Tony questioned curiously.

Chikara scoffed. “Uh, yeah! Everyone at school does, especially after the stunt you pulled with Hamada and his girlfriend, there isn’t a kid in school who doesn’t talk about you! Some people even say that you jumping off the bridge gave you some kind of superpower!”

Tony internally winced, feeling bad for Jamie. “Well, I’ll say that isn’t the case. I just decided I was done with everyone's bullshit,” He bluntly stated.

“Good,” Atsuko stated,”Hamada was rude. Glad he’s gone. Nanami too.”

Chikara nodded in agreement. “They used to bully him, saying he was a girl and other things because he doesn’t like violence. Could never hurt a fly. They also liked to take my crutches and hide them.” She explained.

“Well, I’d still be careful. Iho is the one who attacked me, but I’m pretty sure he only targeted me because of what I did to him,” Tony replied.

Atsuko looked like he agreed with that statement, and replied,”They searched for you for an hour. Never came in here-”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Tony stuttered out,” _Hour?!_ I was out for over an hour?!”

Chikara and Atsuko nodded, seeming confused by his worry. Tony gasped, threading his hands in his hair. “Oooooh my god, if my dad finds out he’ll freak out!”

He jumped to his feet, stumbling as the world spun again. Atsuko quickly caught him as Chikara exclaimed,”Whoa, whoa! You’re still kind of out of it, you’re not leaving alone! We’ll take you home. Atsuko’s coworker can cover for us.”

Tony was about to deny their help, but then he remembered how weak Jamie’s body was. If there was another encounter, he knew he probably wouldn’t escape from it. So, he smiled, and nodded. “Okay! But first, I need to stop at the store. I went out to get groceries, and I’ll be damned if I let Iho ruin my dinner.”

\-- -- -- -- -- --

By some miracle, Tony and his new companions somehow arrived before Jamie’s dad got back. Atsuko helped him get to the bathroom, where he watched off the blood, and to the kitchen, where he dropped the groceries and got ice for his head.

Just as he sat down, Alex walked out from the hallway. He froze at the sight of the two strangers, and turned his narrowed eyes to Tony. “Who are these kids?” He demanded in English, seeming to struggle between his rude self and plastic personality that he used around the family.

“Am I not allowed to have friends, big brother?” Tony questioned defensively in Japanese, not about to let Alex keep this conversation between them.

Alex frowned, looking rather annoyed with the response. He slung his black bag over his shoulder and started to walk toward the front door. “Where ya goin?” Tony questioned,”You’ll miss dinner.”

“I’m having dinner with a classmate, you nosy brat,” He snapped in reply, the first half of the sentence was angry, but quickly morphed into a teasing tone. But the damage was done, Chikara was now glaring at him suspiciously, and Atsuko’s frown had deepened. Alex may not have known it yet, but Tony already knew he had dropped out of school. The hole tha Alex was digging himself had just grown much deeper.

Alex didn’t both to say goodbye as he left, slamming the door behind him. A moment of silence passed between them, before Chikara softly said,”He seems way too defensive about going to have dinner with a classmate.”

“He’s up to something…” Tony replied,”I just don’t know what.”

About twenty minutes later, Jamie’s father returned home with a sleepy Lucy in tow. Tony quickly moved forward, taking the baby so that the man could place his stuff down and lock the door. Jamie’s father quickly looked around, and asked,”Where’s Alex?”

“He said he’s having dinner with a classmate,” Tony said, most likely only able to hold down his desire to put air quotes around the last word because he was holding Lucy.

Jamie’s dad instantly looked saddened, and Tony knew why. He had been trying to work his schedule so that he could spend more time with them, and Alex seemed to be avoiding them.

Before Tony could even say anything, Jamie’s father noticed the two other people in the household. “Oh! Who might you two be?” He asked curiously.

The two had moved off the couch and near Tony, bowing politely. “I’m Murakami Chikara, and this is my friend Kaneko Atsuko,” She introduced.

“They’re from school,” Tony explained,”They’re in class 2-2. I hadn’t really talked to them before, but I ran into them while shopping and it turns out we had a lot in common!”

As soon as the teens finished explaining, Jamie’s father became elated. “Well, it’s nice to meet you! I’m Macintyre Scott!” He said excitedly,”Would you two like to stay for dinner?”

Chikara grinned instantly. “Well, I’m not one to turn down free food!” She said excitedly. While Atsuko softly replied,”If you wouldn’t mind the intrusion, I would love to stay for dinner.”

Jamie’s father just smiled wider. “I don’t mind at all! Please, make yourselves at home,” He said happily, before heading back to the kitchen. Tony followed him, holding the sleepy Lucy in his arms.

When he got to the kitchen, the older man jumped in surprise. “Jamie? Oh- I’m sorry. Here, I’ll put Lucy to bed. You go hang out with your friends,” He said, picking up the little girl and walking off.

“Dad, I can help you with dinner if you need to,” Tony offered, knowing cooking for sudden guests might be a bit difficult.

Jamie’s father quickly cut him off. “No, Jamie,” He firmly said,”Go have fun, be a teenager. I am a grown man, I can handle this myself.”

“Dad-”

“Jamie,” The man begged, blue eyes staring at him lovingly. “After everything that’s happened, I just want you to be happy. _Please_ , go have fun.”

Tony suddenly realized what Jamie’s father meant. In his eyes, after being horribly bullied to the point of attempting suicide. Jamie was finally going out and making friends again, and it was probably all the father wanted.

The redhead didn’t even try to deny him again, instead he gave a soft smile, and nodded.

When he returned to the living room, his two new companions were waiting for him. He hummed softly, moving to the television and grabbing one of the video games off the shelf. “Alright,” He began,”Who wants to get their ass kicked in Street Fighter first?”

Chikara let out a snort, leaning forward eagerly. “Oh, you are _so_ on!”

When dinner came around, the group of four soon found themselves eating dinner with excited chatter, ranging from school to just random topics that sprang into their mind. Their nonsensical chatter made Jamie’s father smile, and often times left him struggling to breathe after laughing so hard.

Tony felt his own body glow with happiness. He had friends, and with their help, he was making Jamie’s father happy. His plans against his enemies were pushed away, because in that moment he only had one mission, to give the man hope.

And if an effect of that was that Tony grew more attached to those around him in the process, it wouldn’t bother him one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Next chapter: Tony and his friends go back to school, and Tony hatches a few new plans.


	6. Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony leaves a hint for Jamie's father, and decides that he can't wait any longer.

_Eighteen… Nineteen… Twenty_

 

Tony leaned against his bed, heaving deep breaths into his crying lungs. He had only done twenty push ups and yet it hurt so bad. Jamie’s body was extremely out of shape and skinny, he knew it would take a long while to get his body even close to strong.

 

He had created a workout regimine, as close as possible to the one Natasha and Steve created when they had all been living in the tower. The thought of those happy times made his heart clench, but it washed away quickly.

 

“Hurry, Jamie! You’ll miss breakfast!” Jamie’s father called from within the apartment, and all thoughts of continuing exercise melted away. Well, he does need to gain some weight, so food was just as important. But then again, food was always important.

 

The redhead hopped to his feet, grabbing his school bag, and slinging it over his shoulder. Before he left, however, he grabbed a screwdriver he had found, and slid it into the furthest corner of his bag.

 

When he entered the kitchen, Jamie’s father was placing food on the table, Lucy was babbling to herself, and Alex was nowhere to be seen… Again.

 

He slid into his own seat, beginning to scoop up rice with his chopsticks while Jamie sat across from him. Lucy stopped babbling for a moment, looking over at Tony. When his mismatched eyes met her gaze, she let out an excited squeal, reaching out for him with her choppy hands.

 

Tony was still a little surprised by Lucy’s affection for him. Growing up, he was an only child. Having siblings was a whole different experience, but one he didn’t hate. With a smile on his face, he exclaimed,”Lucy! Look at you, you finished all your food! You’re getting so big!”

 

Lucy’s toothy grin grew wider, excited babbles flowing out of her mouth as she wiggled around. Tony just grinned wider, proud he was able to make Lucy so happy.

 

He turned back to his food, and saw Jamie’s father with a happy smile on his face. “I’m so glad you and Lucy get along so well,” He said,”Alex has trouble even _holding_ her, she really doesn’t like him.”

 

 _Gee, I wonder why_. Tony thought sarcastically, finishing up his miso soup before he replied. “Where is Alex, anyway?”

 

“Oh, he said he was eating breakfast with some classmates today,’ Jamie’s father explained, a longing look came over his face. “I’m happy he’s making friends, but I wish he would spend more time with us.. We are family after all.”

 

Despite Tony’s affection for the family he now had, he could not feel anything but hatred toward Alex. He knew the young man was up to something, and these lies couldn’t be allowed to continue.

 

Tony continued to chat with the older man and Lucy until it was time for him to go to school. He left the apartment, going down to the lobby, and then he stopped. Looking around the lobby, he saw no sign of Alex or anyone who could stop him. He walked over to the mailbox, and pulled out the letter from Alex’s university.

 

He knew Jamie’s father always checked the mail before he went to work, and it might be his only chance to have him see the letter without Alex disposing of it. The redhead checked the tape he used to fix it, making sure the paper was readable, and then slipped it inside their mailbox. Once he was sure it was inside, he took off towards school.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Tony arrived at school early for a special reason which involved the screwdriver he had stowed away. As casually as he could, he wandered over to the teachers’ room. When it was completely empty, he slid inside, tiptoeing his way around the desks until he found the one he was looking for… The English Teacher’s desk.

 

He crouched down below the desk, using his screwdriver to loosen all the screws as much as he could while remaining unnoticeable. When he was done, he took the screwdriver, and shoved it back into the most hidden spot of his bag, hurried toward his homeroom.

 

School started off normally, except for the fact that Nanami was back at school. She spent half the class glaring at him, obviously still angry for getting caught. Tony simply ignored her. Considering she hadn’t tried to attack him again, he guessed that she had learned her lesson and would simply leave him alone.

 

When the lunch bell finally rang, he was greeted by the beautiful sight of the Furukawa’s bruised face and frustrated look. It took all Tony’s self control to not send a smug smile towards the pervert. Such a small prank, and yet so satisfactory.

 

“Jamie!” A familiar voice called.

 

The teen turned his mismatched eyes and saw Chikara and Atsuko coming out of the classroom behind him. “Oh, hey you guys,” He replied calmly, wandering over to his two friends.

 

Tony followed them into their classroom, taking a seat and pulling out his bento. Atsuko did the same, but Chikara yanked out a huge bento box from her bag. When she opened it up, she revealed a huge meal with with noodles, fish, meat, fried foods, and even two bunny rabbits made out of rice.

 

“Dear lord,” Tony whispered in shock, watching the girl begin to dig into her meal. “You eat that every day?! Isn’t that expensive?”

 

Chikara scoffed towards him, and said,”Uhh… Yeah? Besides, this is nothing. My parents run a publishing company, I get to eat this stuff all the time. You should see what my dinners look like!”

 

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise, causing the girl to look at him in confusion. “You seriously didn’t know?” She questioned.

 

“I thought you worked at the animal shelter with Atsuko,” The redhead admitted, messing with his own food sheepishly.

 

The introverted Atsuko shook his head, quietly saying,”Ride home.”

 

Chikara nodded in agreement. “We’ve been friends since we were kids, so we use my dad’s limo to get to and from places,” She explained like it was nothing.

 

Tony felt a bubble of amusement grow in his chest, and he began to chuckle softly. Chikara quickly noticed, put down her chopsticks, and asked,”What?”

 

“Oh no, it’s nothing,” The genius replied, turning back to his own lunch with a nostalgic thought drifting through his mind.

 

_Well, now I know how Rhodey felt.._

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

They day seemed to drag on for a long time, and Tony was beginning to get antsy. Although he was determined to keep school a priority, he also wanted to go home and make sure Jamie’s father had seen the letter before Alex could hide it again.

 

He said goodbye to his friends, and was half tempted to run towards the apartment in order to get some exercise in (and get there fast) when he was stopped by the science teacher, Mr. Watanabe.

 

“Jamie, may I speak to you for a moment?” The man asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

 

Tony was a little hesitant, considering his last experience with a teacher after hours. But, Watanabe was an incredibly quirky, albeit kind teacher who always encouraged students to do their best. His scrawny appearance wasn’t that threatening, either. So, Tony followed the older man to the teacher’s room.

 

The teacher began rummaging around his messy desk, muttering to himself as he pushed the papers aside. Finally, he released an excited noise as he found what he was looking for. “Aha! Here it is!” He exclaimed, turning back to the teenager, and handing him a paper.

 

The redhead looked back down at it, and realized it was the essay they had been assigned just a few days ago. “Jamie, your essay was amazing! The amount of information and ideas you had for controlling climate change and pollution are incredible! Some of these ideas are stuff I’ve never even thought of before!” The teacher praised.

 

Tony blushed, and shuffled his feet. Of course Mr. Watanabe wouldn’t think of them, most the ideas he wrote about were things only JARVIS or FRIDAY heard him talk about. “Thank you sir, I just wish I had a way to test my theories,” He admitted.

 

“Actually,” The brunette replied,”That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I am looking for students to help revive the science club, and I think you would be a perfect fit! Would you be interested!”

 

Tony’s eyes widened in excitement. He had been practically starving for a chance to even touch something scientific, and science class was the closest he got. Joining a club dedicated to it would give him the change he had desperately been missing. “Yes! I would love to!” He exclaimed happily,”It sounds like so much fun! When can we start?”

 

“I have to go to a conference this week, but we can start next monday,” Watanabe replied,”If your family is okay with it, we can discuss it in an after school meeting then. If you find other students who might be interested, I suggest bringing them too.”

 

Tony agreed, wondering if Chikara and Atsuko would be interested in the club as he practically skipped towards the exit of the school. He knew Jamie’s father would be excited too, and as for-

 

The redhead’s thoughts came to a halt as he passed by the entrance of the gym. Furukawa’s familiar figure was inside… With his arm around a blonde haired student in a soccer outfit. His eyes widened, quickly hiding behind the doorway.

 

Furukawa casually spoke to her, seeming to keep her attention away from his hand. It slowly slid down, moving down closer to the girl’s legs. Tony felt his heart skip a beat… I have to do something!!  


He slammed his feet hard, running over to the two. “Mr. Furukawa!” He exclaimed as loud as he could. The two jumped, and looked over at him. Tony didn’t even bother to glance at the girl, instead he focused right on the monster of a teacher. “I need to talk to you, right now!!”

 

The teacher seemed confused for several moments, but then realization seemed to come over him, and a predatory smile crawling up his face. He then started forward, his arm grabbing Tony’s shoulder and leading him out the door. “Of course!” He exclaimed, voice oozing with fake kindness. “I always have time for students.”

 

He led Tony to one of the nearby classrooms, and pushed the sliding door shut. Though he may have tried to hide it, Tony heard the lock click shut.

 

They turned towards each other, and those dark evil eyes seemed to stare at him. “What can I do for you, Jamie?” He asked softly.

 

Tony didn’t know what spurred him into action, but all other plans went away. He couldn’t let Furukawa destroy anyone else when he had the chance to stop him. He grabbed the man’s collar, and pulled him forward. Their lips connected, and Furukawa quickly wrapped his arms around Tony’s torso.

 

When they pulled apart, the teen wanted to vomit, but he forced a smile on his face. “I remember now… I remember how you were there for me,” He whispered as seductively as possible,”And I want that feeling back.”

 

The victory in the bastard’s eyes made Tony want to run, but he stayed strong. “Of course, Jamie,” Furukawa whispered back. “I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses… I think you deserve a reward, don’t you?”

 

Tony smiled, leaning closer and hugging as tight as he could. “I’d love on, Furukawa-san~”

 

The teacher smiled, leaning forward to whisper in his ear,”Well then, I guess you’ll just have to come home with me, huh?”

 

His heart dropped, and Tony found himself unable to say anything besides a single sentence.

 

“Yeah… I guess I will…”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

Furukawa’s apartment was completely, perfectly, and horrifyingly normal. The shoji doors leading to the bedroom were shut, Tony’s shirt and bag dropped onto the floor by the queen sized bed the two males now lied on.

 

Even if Tony wanted to move, Furukawa’s hands against his shoulders held him down, lips kissing against the side of Tony’s neck roughly. Tony whimpered, every place the man touched burned.

 

His hand began to slide down, reaching toward the belt of Tony’s uniform. Finally, his mind caught up with him. He grabbed the man’s arms, and choked out a soft,”Wait!”

 

To his surprise, Furukawa pulled back the slightest bit. “What is it Jamie?” Furukawa asked in that same oozing tone.

 

“We… Aren’t we moving too fast? Do you even have protection?” Tony stuttered out, desperate to stall for time.

 

Furukawa seemed to hesitate, a smile crawling up his face. He patted Tony’s freckled cheek, and said,”You’re right. I was just so excited, I didn’t even remember! Let me go check and make sure I have some, or else we might have to reschedule your reward.”

 

The man got up off of Tony, opening the shoji door, and shutting it behind him. As soon as he heard the footstep farther away, the teen jumped to his feet. He creeped over to the cypress desk, desperately rifling through the desk.

 

 _He’s managed to do this to more than one kid, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to keep things on a computer._ Tony thought, opening every drawer and digging through them. Then, he opened the cabinet connected on the other side. Nothing, nothing, nothing…

 

But then, Tony realized something. The shelf in the middle seemed to have a smaller width than the other two. He shoved the books aside, knocking against it. It was hollow, and had three screws keeping it shut. How could he pry it open in time?!

 

_The screwdriver!_

 

He dove to his bag, yanking the screwdriver out and unscrewing the screws. He pried off the false bottom, revealing exactly what he had been looking for.

 

It was VHS tapes, DVDS, little USBs, developed photos, and even a camera. They were all labeled, including several that had Jamie’s name on them. _That fucking monster!_ He growled in rage.

 

Footsteps broke through his thoughts, and Tony gasped. He couldn’t let Furukawa get away with his crimes any longer. He grabbed his bag, shoving everything he could into it. He had the evidence he needed, now he had to-

 

“Jamie~”

 

The door slid open, and Tony whipped around just in time to witness Furukawa drop what he was holding. Rage exploded across the man’s face. “You little RAT!” He screeched, running towards Tony at full force.

 

Tony grabbed the screwdriver, and was finally able to do what he had wanted to for weeks. He slammed it down into the man’s shoulder, causing the man to screech in rage and pain.

 

The redhead shoved the man aside, running out of the apartment as fast as his long legs could carry him. He stumbled down the stairs, and onto the streets. He had no clue where a police station was, he didn’t know where to go. All he could do was yell.

 

“HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

It was around an hour later that a brunette foreigner burst his way into the police station, looking around frantically. When he didn’t see what he was looking for, he ran up to the front desk. “Where is he?!” He demanded,”Where’s my son?!”  


“Are you Scott Mcintyre?” The officer calmly asked.

 

“Yes I am!” The man snapped,”Please, where is my son?!”

 

The officer closed a folder, before motioning for the man to follow him. They went to a nearby witness room, where the red headed teen was sitting, a fluffy blanket wrapped around his bare chest. As soon as the door opened, the teen jerked up, relief filling his mismatched eyes.

 

“Dad…” Tony whispered, jumping to his feet, and hugging the man as tightly as possible.

 

Jamie’s father burst into tears, wrapping his arms around the redhead, and rocking him in the gentle, loving embrace. “Oh, Jamie,” He croaked,”Why didn’t you… I could have… W-why didn’t you tell me?!”

 

Tony felt his own eyes burn with tears, leaning into the comforting embrace. “I’m sorry,” He croaked,”I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

 

His father shook his head. “It doesn’t matter,” He declared,”You’re safe, he’s locked away, and I’ll be here to help you through everything, okay? I love you so much Jamie, everything is going to be okay now.”

 

Tony merely nodded against the man, his shaking limbs beginning to calm down as he found himself starting to relax. The hug was warm, and the most loving thing he had felt in such a long time.

 

 _I did it, Jamie._ He thought proudly. _He’s gone, he can never hurt us, or anyone else again._

 

And as the father and teen continued to hold each other close, Tony could swear he felt a third person joining them in the warm embrace..

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Word spread around school and the news fast, and rumors were exploding all across the school. Although nobody knew all the details, the straight facts included the fact that Jamie was the one who brought the man to justice.

 

Tony, thankfully, didn’t have to endure much interrogation from his friends. After getting aggressively asked if he was alright, Chikara simply declared,”He was a sucky English teacher anyways.”

 

The week went on as normal as it could, considering the events that had been occuring around them. It was only when Tony was heading for the Science Club’s first meeting that another peculiar event began.

 

Just as he was about to head up the stairs, someone grabbed his wrist. “Jamie, wait!” A frantic voice snapped,”I need to speak to you!”

 

Tony jolted the second the fingers wrapped around him, and jumped around as fast as he could. He found himself face to face with Nanami. She, however, didn’t look as put together as she normally would. Her nails were chewed, bags underneath her eyes, and her roots were showing.

 

“What happened to you?” Tony sneered, instantly growing defensive. “And where are your cronies?”

 

Nanami didn’t show any anger at all as she replied,”They’re not my friends anymore.” Her tone was filled with hatred, but not towards him. Suddenly, she threw herself into a bow at a ninety degree angle. “I’m sorry!”

 

Tony’s eyes widened, utter confusion filling his head. “S-sorry…?” He questioned,”Wait… why?”

 

“That day… When you talked to Furukawa… I was the one he was touching,” She whispered,”I had just broken up with Iho, and I was feeling horrible. He started talking to me and… Ugh! I can’t believe I listened to him! He promised to comfort me and make me feel better. If you hadn’t been there to stop him..”

 

The redhead suddenly realized what she was talking about. “That was you?!” He exclaimed.

 

“It was,” The girl answered shamefully,”I… I was just so rude and mean to you… And you still saved me. I know I didn’t deserve it, and if you had known it was me you probably wouldn’t have saved me… But still… Thank you.. And I’m sorry.”

 

Nanami turned, as if to walk away. “Nanami,” Tony quickly called back, causing the girl to hesitantly turn back towards him. “Even if I had known that it was you, I still would have stopped him. Nobody deserves to have _that_ done to them.”

 

The girl looked completely shocked, before a hesitant smile came over her face. “T-thank you, Jamie,” She whispered,”You have no idea what that mean to me.”

 

Tony could practically feel the sadness radiating off the girl, and really had no idea what else to do. So, he simply asked,”Hey, would you like to join the science club? We’re about to have our first meeting.”

 

Her brown eyes widened. “Really?” She questioned,”Y-you want me to join your club? After everything I did?”

 

“Everyone deserves a second chance.”

 

His words seemed to go directly to her heart, as the same blinding smile came across her face. “I’d love to,” She whispered through her tears.

 

Although her presence caused some tension for the members of the club, they soon realized that she was really there to be an active member. Even with that discovery, Chikara still had to test her.

 

“You know, Nanami, if you’re gonna be part of our club, you’ll have to fix yourself up. Imagine how we would look in a newspaper article if your roots were showing like that!” She teased.

 

Nanami didn’t even flinch. “Actually, I’m going to let my hair go back to brown,” She admitted,”Being fake isn’t my thing anymore.”

 

Chikara looked surprised, and then impressed by the answer. Less than fifteen minutes later, the whole club became actively involved with figuring out their schedules and meeting plans.

 

They left as the sky turned orange, and Tony found himself admiring everything around him. The gentle sound of the cicadas lulling him into a relaxing stroll, a smile covering his freckled face.

 

Things were finally tying together, and Jamie’s life (along with Tokyo) was becoming better because of it. But he knew his work wasn’t over yet… As he reached his home and began ascending up the stairs, he reminded himself of a very important fact.

 

Within that apartment, there was still one loose end to tie up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Alex moves start to grow sloppy.


	7. Deceived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes on a vacation with his family, has a meeting with his club, and an instance with Alex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTE:  
> From now on, Tony will be referring to Jamie’s father as his father. This is for several reasons.  
> 1\. I’m lazy.  
> 2\. He’s much more comfortable with his situation now.  
> 3\. #Jamie’s father is a better dad than Howard ever was 2k18
> 
> Hope that clears up any confusion!

 Tony pushed open the apartment door, making sure to shut and lock it before he turned to head towards his room. He didn’t even take a step before he noticed the suitcases by the door. The genius also noticed that each one looked full. “What is this for?” He awkwardly asked to no one in particular.

 

“For our trip!” His father exclaimed, moving from where he was feeding Lucy. He handed the spoon to the little girl, whose wide blue eyes stared at it in awe. The older man, meanwhile, continued,”After everything that happened recently, I think we all need some time to relax. So, we’re going to spend the weekend at Enoshima!”

 

Lucy- who had an incredibly good sense of timing for an eight month old -let out an excited cry, swinging her legs back and forth as she babbled on about nothing. Tony felt a smile climb up his face, letting out his own gentle laugh.

 

The genius then motioned towards the child, and said,”Well, I think we really have no choice now. Lucy is super excited to go! So am I!”

 

His father grinned, relishing in the sight of his son joking around again. “I’m glad you both are excited!” He replied,”We’ll be leaving in an hour or two, so you can relax a bit and grab anything you need.”

 

Tony nodded, moving to grab his book bag again when he noticed that there were only three suitcases. Instantly suspicious, Tony turned his mismatched eyes back up to his father. “Where’s Alex’s suitcase?” He questioned.

 

“He’s not coming,” The older man declared firmly, eyes filled with betrayal. Tony instantly knew what was going on. It seemed that the letter had indeed caused some tension between the two of them.

 

The redhead knew he couldn’t just blurt out that he knew. So, he innocently- but hesitantly -asked,”Why? Is… Something wrong?”

 

His father sighed, shaking his head dejectedly. “I don’t know how to say this, but…” He softly began,”Alex was pretending to go to college for several months but he wasn’t, and kept taking the money I gave him for tuition for other things. I only found out because someone gave me the letter his school was sending him.”

 

“That’s horrible!” Tony exclaimed, faking shock the best he could despite the happiness growing in his soul.

 

The older man nodded, running a hand through his short brown hair. “Because of his actions, Alex is not coming with us anywhere. This is the last time I’ll give him a chance like this,” He declared.

 

 _This has happened before?_ Tony thought curiously, unashamed of how happy this made him feel. At least now he knew that Alex wasn’t as innocent as he attempted to act around the teacher, _and_ that his father knew about it.

 

“Well, I’ll miss him during the trip, but he does have to learn his lesson,” Tony innocently responded, to which the older man nodded pridefully as he turned back over to Lucy.

 

Tony’s smile grew even bigger, and he felt excitement filling him. Not only about Alex’s punishment, but about the trip. The longer he stayed, the more he felt like they were actually his family.

 

Despite the amount of money Howard had, they never went on any family trips, just business deals or hunts for Captain America. A few times, when Tony hadn’t wanted to be forced to work or put on a press smile, Howard would pretend they were going to go on a family vacation. It always ended the same, though, with Tony being forced to do the exact things he was trying to avoid.

 

He knew that this time it would be different, and he couldn’t wait to go on his first real family trip.

 

His father eventually left, returning with their rental car, and the small group piled in. They drove towards their destination, while Tony looked out of the window at the passing scenery. As time went on, he felt his eyelids start to droop,and he fell into a restful sleep.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

_When Tony opened his eyes, he was back in his old body, and standing on the edge of a pier. He frowned slightly, but recognized what was happening almost instantly. He was getting seeing more memories._

 

_Turning his brown eyes toward the scene in front of him. He saw a small Jamie toddling next to a taller, younger Alex. Next to them was a younger Scott, whom was looking over the pier with them. And next to him… Was someone Tony only saw in photos. Her hair was long, lucious, and the same red as Jamie’s. It was their mother, Ellie._

 

_Tony watched Alex gasp, shoving Jamie away to point towards the water. “Momma! Look, I see some fish” He exclaimed, practically wiggling with excitement._

 

_Jamie glared towards the older boy, while Ellie gently helped the younger up. “Alex, I know you’re excited, but you do not hurt your little brother,” She abdomished, making the brunette blush in shame._

 

_Tony was surprised Jamie glared. Considering how Alex was able to boss around Jamie all the time before, it sent confusion through the genius. Then, it hit him. “When Ellie died… So did his bravery?” He thought curiously._

 

_Of course, he got no answer. Instead, the memory continued on. “Oh! Kids look!” Their father exclaimed, pointing at the floating white things in the water._

 

_Jamie and Alex leaned over the rail, staring curiously but obviously not understanding what they were looking at. “Was’ dat?” Jamie asked in a squeaky, innocent tone._

 

_“Those are Moon Jellyfish!” Their father exclaimed,”They’re my most favorite ocean creature in the whole world!”_

 

_Ellie chuckled, leaning against her husband as the children stared at the jellyfish with wide eyes. “Whoa…” Alex whispered,”There’s so many!”_

 

_Jamie’s interested died away quickly, and he quickly turned back to his parents. “Wha bout’ mommy?” He questioned._

 

_Ellie smiled, kneeling closer to her son. “My favorite?” She asked, making a thoughtful noise. “Hm… I think it would have to be the Longhorn Cowfish.”_

 

_“Cowfish?” Alex asked.’’_

 

 _The woman grew a mischievous look in her eyes, and said,”Yep! They’re yellow and shaped like cheese! And their lips look like this!”_   


_She puckered her lips, and then smiled again. “I like to think that they’re always trying to kiss someone, like…. This!” She leaned forward, placing a huge kiss on the younger child’s cheek. “Mwha!!” Ellie then turned over, giving Alex the same playful kiss. “Mwah!!”_   


_Both children giggled, and Ellie continued to press kisses for a few moments before pulling the giggling children into a hug. Jamie’s happy squeals touched Tony’s heart, while the child nuzzled even closer to his mother. The love shared between them was beautiful… And completely ruined when Tony noticed the burning hatred Alex had in his eyes toward Jamie, glaring over the shoulder at his younger brother._

 

_Even when they were young, Alex hated Jamie. Tony frowned, feeling a protective emotion flow through him once more. But, he wrenched his eyes away from the little bastard, and instead focused on Jamie’s happiness, and the loving smile on his and Ellie’s faces as the memory slowly faded away._

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

His eyes blearily blinked open once more just as they pulled into the Enoshima Nagisa parking lot. His father had parked the car and was just opening Lucy’s door to unbuckle the sleeping toddler. The genius sat up, looking over at them.

 

Their father seemed to notice the movement out of the corner of his eyes, and a smile instantly climbed up his face. “Well, hello there sleeping beauty!” He exclaimed,”Woke up just in time!”

 

Tony gave a smile in return, climbing out of the rental car. Instantly, the gentle wind flowed past him and the smell of the sea filled his sense. He took it all in as he stretched out his long limbs, happy to finally be free of the car.

 

After he finished stretching out, he turned towards his father. “So, what is the plan for today?” He asked curiously.

 

“I was thinking that you two might like to see the aquarium here!” The older man said, blue eyes glowing with excitement. “I heard they have penguins, seals, and tons of fish! They even have my favorite-”

 

“Moon jellies,” Tony interrupted wistfully.

 

The man gasped, wide eyes turning to stare right at his son. “You… You…” He stuttered out, but not managing to form any other words.

 

“And mom’s favorite was the Longhorn Cowfish,” Tony continued,”Because it always looked like they wanted to kiss someone.”

 

For a few moments, nothing was said, but Tony could see the tears building up in his father’s eyes. “You remembered?” He croaked softly,”You’re remembering things?”

 

Tony lowered his gaze a bit, but allowed a small smile to climb up his face and nodded. Jamie's father instantly grew a giant smile on his face, and moved forward, pulling the tall teen into a loving hug.

 

The man pulled away a few moments later, and said,”You know, I think the aquarium would be a great start!”

 

Tony followed after the man he had come to see as a father, and Lucy with a warm feeling in his chest. Helping the family was one of the most fulfilling jobs he’d ever had, and he knew that he’d never quit.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

“Ishy! Fishy!”

 

Lucy squealed happily in Tony’s arms, reaching out for the jellyfish swimming in their sphere. Her wide blue eyes stared at them in utter awe, and the genius couldn’t help but laugh.

 

“No, Lucy. These aren’t fishies, these are jellyfish. Jellies. Can you say… Jellies?” The redhead enthusiastically asked. “Jellies?”

 

The little girl stared at Tony, her face blank for several seconds. Then, a huge grin exploded on it, and she threw her arms around his neck. “ _Nii-chan!_ ” She squealed in Japanese.

 

Tony snickered as he cuddled the girl closer. “It’s okay, we have plenty of time to work on your marine biology vocabulary later,” He teased, rubbing her back.

 

His father smiled next to them, still staring at the jellyfish with interest. “Aren’t they magnificent creatures? It’s incredible to think that they don’t even have brains!” He declared excitedly.

 

Feeling a mischievous desire grow in his chest, he leaned over and whispered,“And even without a brain, they still function better than some kids at my school!”

 

The man jerked back, snorting with laughter at Tony’s joke. “Now young man, you respect your peers!” He teasingly snapped, before whispering back,”Even if it’s true.”

 

Tony giggled again, while Lucy picked her head up to see what the commotion was. The girl looked around, noticing a nearby sign. “Ah! Pins! Pins!” She exclaimed,”See pins!”

 

“Pins?” Tony queried, looking towards where the girl was pointing. He saw a familiar picture of a webbed feet, flippered bird. “Oh! Penguins! She wants to see the penguins!”

 

His father smiled. “She’s always been obsessed with penguins, it was the first stuffed animal I got her,” He said nostalgically, and then motioned towards the entrance. “Go ahead to the penguins, I’ll stay here with the jellies for a while.”

 

The teen nodded and walked away, heading over to where he saw the little birds waddling around. The second Lucy was able to see them, she let out an excited cry. “Pins! Pins!” She exclaimed again.

 

“I know!” Tony agreed,”It’s the penguins! And you know, Lucy, sometimes the male penguins take care of the egg, like daddy does for you and me!”

 

“Oh! It’s cool that you know that!” A new voice said. The genius turned his head to see one of the other guests smiling at him. He had short black hair, and excited brown eyes.

 

Tony smirked, shrugging his shoulders a bit. “I just know a few things here and there, not really an expert,” He explained honestly,”My sister just really likes penguins.”

 

“Well, who wouldn’t? They’re pretty adorable after all,” He replied, looking towards the little chicks that were trying to waddle around after their parents.

 

Tony made a hum of agreement, but noticed the underlying sadness in the worker’s voice. “Is everything… Okay?” He questioned.

 

“It’s just sad…” He replied,”I’m sorry, I know you’re here to have fun, but I just can’t help but worry. With how bad global warming and pollution is getting, the penguin population could be half of what it is today.”

 

Lucy continued to babble, not even aware about his sad words. Tony curiously asked,”Seriously?”

 

“Yeah,” The young man said,”They’re ingesting plastic thinking it’s food, or their food has ingested plastic. This has been affecting all kind of marine creatures. That plus the ice melting is making things get worse every day!”

 

Tony waited until he stopped to question,”Are you wanting to study the ocean or something?”

 

The young man nodded. “Yeah, but I’m worried there won’t be much to study by the time I’m done with University. I wish someone could do something..” He whispered softly,”But it just seems like everyone is just ignoring the problem.”

 

“It’s a really big issue too. It sort of seems like maybe everyone doesn’t care or is too scared to try anything,” Tony agreed, gaining a firm nod from the young man. “What’s your name, by the way?”

 

“Manami Kaito,” The young man answered,”I’m really sorry for complaining to much, but I just wanted someone who understood.”

 

“Don’t worry, Manami,” Tony replied,”I completely understand. And I know for sure that one day, someone will come up with a way to save the ocean.”

 

Manami looked extremely thankful for his words, and they both turned back to the penguins. Tony watched the creatures, but his mind was on something else. _In fact… I already have a few ideas._

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

“Okay… Picture this!”

 

The three members of the science club and their teacher watched Tony with interest. He stood in front of the whiteboard, a drawing of a complicated looking contraption was displayed on it.

 

“The ocean and its ecosystem is getting more and more polluted,” Tony explained,”Photodegradation is making plastic turn into smaller and smaller pieces, animals are ingesting it, it’s even getting in our fish market! It’s a huge problem that has to be fixed!”

 

He pointed to the strange contraption. “And so… I have come up with an invention to help! It is small, so it can get through the water and find the plastic, and either destroy it or collect it. If we amass a large enough army of these, and they work, we may be able to remove the smaller particles and be able to focus on something for fixing the issue of large plastic debris!”

 

The group was silent for a bit, before the teacher chuckled. “If I didn’t know any better, Mr. Mcintyre, I’d have said you’ve done this before!” He exclaimed,”That was a very good pitch for a very good idea!”

 

“How would it work?” Nanami asked curiously, scribbling down some notes in her own. The girl admitted that she never cared to pay attention in class before joining them, so the science teacher was helping her by giving her extra credit for any notes taken in the club.

 

Tony pondered this for a few moments. “Well, I have a few ideas. One would involve lasers that can dissolve them, or a storage device, or maybe a liquid inside them that can dissolve the microscopic plastic?”

 

“That last one sounds awesome!” Chikara exclaimed,”Maybe it could have a mouth to get the plastic, and then dissolves it? Sort of like stomach acid!”

 

Their teacher nodded. “Of course, we would have to come up with a way to make sure it only gets the plastic and not water.” He reminded.

 

“And that it’s safe for the ocean creatures,” Atsuko mentioned quietly.

 

“Oh! I think I have an idea!” Nanami suddenly exclaims. “What if it has sections?”

 

“Sections?” Tony questions.

 

Nanami lowers her hands, growing a thoughtful look on her soft face. Then, she snapped her fingers and grabbed a marker. She made a quick drawing of the prototype Tony had drawn earlier, and makes different lines across it.

 

“What if we have a net right in the front, then something to clear out the water, and then the dissolving agent. C-could that work?” She asked nervously, turning her eyes toward the group. It was the first time she had ever input into their little projects.

 

Tony grinned ear to ear. “That sounds awesome! I think that could work! We’ll definitely have to make a few prototypes” He praised her, causing the girl to smile with happiness.

 

“But how will we fund it?” Atsuko asked curiously.

 

Chikara waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, we’ll do what kids in American movies always do, have a fundraiser!” She declared.

 

“Ooh yeah!” Tony replied excitedly,”Like a bake sale or something! Maybe during the club fair?”

 

“These are all great ideas, and we’ll all definitely work on it... staring next time,” The science teacher interrupted,”It’s time for the meeting to end, we’ll pick it up tomorrow, alright?”

 

The students slumbed a bit in sadness, but began to clean up the classroom as they were instructed. Tony took pictures of all the things they had written down or drawn on the whiteboard.

 

As he finished up, he heard a soft voice behind him. “Jamie, can I ask something?” Atsuko’s deep voice reached his ears.

 

The genius turned around, mismatched eyes looking at the tall man. “Sure, what’s up, big guy?” He asked curiously.

 

“If this thing works… It’ll help the oceans and every animal in it,” He pointed out,”Do you think… We could make things to help other animals too?”

 

Tony was not surprised at all by the question. The more he hung out with Atsuko, the more he realized how much the teen loved animals. “Of course we can, Atsuko,” He said,”I’m guessing you have a few animals in mind.”

 

Atsuko nodded. “There are two animals at the rescue that I really want to help…” He explained,”Maybe you could visit them and see what you think we could do?”

 

He saw the nervous, but hopeful look in the teen’s eyes. Tony didn’t know why he was afraid, there was no way Tony was going to say no. He smiled, and declared,”Sure! How about after a meeting I go with you and meet these two!”

 

A soft smile came on Atsuko’s face, bigger than the usual ones he gave. “That sounds great, Jamie,” He softly said in excitement,”Thank you so much!”

 

Tony gave the taller a thumbs up, and they both went back to clearing up their things. Tony couldn’t help the curiosity that suddenly overcame him. He wondered what animals Atsuko wanted him so see…

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Tony exited the school last, and was surprised to find his father waiting for him, holding a penguin hugging Lucy in his arms. “Hey Jamie!” He called.

 

“Oh! Hey dad!” Tony exclaimed, quickly skidding to a stop. “What’s up? I thought you were waiting for Alex to come home.”

 

The smile on the father’s face went away. “Well, I was trying to but he hasn’t come home yet… “ He explained as they started to wander down the street.

 

To Tony, this was suspicious. When they had gotten home the night before, Alex hadn’t been home. He still wasn’t home in the morning, he hadn’t shown up for work, and now he wasn’t at home while their dad waited for them. WHat was he up to?

 

The three wandered for a bit, and even Lucy was surprisingly silent. Then, the man nervously asked,”Do you think I was too hard on Alex?”

 

“What?! No!” Tony exclaimed, whipping around and coming to a stop. “Dad, why would you think that? He stole thousands from you and lied! I thin your punishment was perfect, considering what he did.”

 

The man still looked hesitant, and sighed. “I know, I know,” He breathed,”It’s just… Alex has been acting differently ever since… Since your mother died. I just wanted to help him feel better and make a bond with him… He always was more attached to mom.”

 

 _I already knew that._ Tony almost sneered, thinking of the dream he had earlier in the weekend. But, he shook those thoughts away. “Dad,” He firmly stated,”It doesn’t matter. What he did was wrong, you just have to realize that. He won’t learn anything if you let him keep going without consequences.”

 

They continued walking, and his father let a soft smile grow on his face. “You know, you’re right Jamie,” He replied,”Sorry for dumping all this on you, but you’re right. He just has to face the consequences of his actions!”

 

Tony put a big smile on his face, nodding in agreement. He was glad that his father understood, and he could only hope that Alex might actually learn his lesson.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The second they opened the door to their apartment, Tony knew that wouldn’t be the case. Alex was sitting on the couch, a wide grin on his face. His brunette brother then walked over, hugging their father tightly. Lucy instantly began to cry in between them.

 

“Dad! I’m so glad to see you! I need to give you something!” Alex’s fake caring tone obvious to only Tony.

 

The young man then took off back to his room, and Lucy was handed to Tony, who moved closer to the kitchen to watch. When Alex returned, he had several stacks of cash. “Here you go!” He said,”All the money!”

 

Their father was shocked. “W-what? How did you get all this so fast?!” He demanded, wide blue eyes turning to his son.

 

“Why do you think I’ve been gone all weekend?” Alex answered,”You and Jamie were right, what I did was… Abhorrent, and wrong. So, I’ve been working all weekend to get the money back.”  


The young man then put a guilty look on his face, wringing his hands. “Could you ever forgive me for what I’ve done?” He croaked out.

 

His father instantly went from shock to love. He wrapped his arms around his son, rubbing a comforting hand on his back. “Don’t worry, Alex,” The man declared,”I forgive you, thank you for working so hard.”

 

Alex hugged him back, and whispered,”Thank you so much, dad.” Then, they pulled away. Alex’s blue eyes looked right towards Tony, a smug smile on his face.

 

Tony kept a loving smile towards him, but inside he was fuming. Any doubts he had about his suspicions towards Alex were completely gone. That bastard was up to something, there was no other way he could have gotten all that money so fast.

 

“This calls for a celebration!” Their father said, heading towards his room. “Everyone get dressed up, we’re going out for dinner!”

 

Alex’s expression darkened the second the door was shut, and he turned to Tony. “Nice try, Jamie,” He sneered,”But I’m steps ahead of you, and I always will be.”

 

The young man then turned and practically flew to his room, leaving a hate filled genius behind. He had gotten away with it again, and had the gall to brag about it to the very person trying to stop him.

 

Alex seemed to think he was safe, but he had no idea what Tony was capable of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoy my writing, please consider buying me a coffee. Same username :3
> 
> Next Chapter: Success and Battle


	8. One Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony may finally get his chance to stop Alex

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! So many scenarios! But yay! Finally out!

“WHAT?!”

 

Chikara had leapt up from her seat, holding onto the table for support, he wide brown eyes staring towards Tony with disbelief. “So Alex just… Got away with it?” She questioned incredulously.

 

Tony frowned, toying with the lid of a his bento as he gave a nod. His eyebrows furrowed, mismatched eyes trying to burn a hole through the offending container. “Alex had to have done something to get all that money so quick, but dad just doesn’t see that,” He explained,”He just wants us to all be a happy family, it’s been hard for him.”

 

Atsuko, Nanami, and Chikara exchanged a look of frustration and concern for their friend. The large teen then moved forward, asking,”What are you going to do?”

 

“He won’t believe me unless I have evidence,” Tony explained,”And the best way to do that is to catch him in the act; He can’t deny anything then.”

 

Chikara nodded feverishly, her eyes gleaming with mischievous excitement. “Yes! Get some of those microscopic cameras and track his every move! Plant microphones on his clothes!” She exclaimed.

 

Nanami rolled her eyes. “Not all of us are as rich as you, Chikara,” She teased good heartedly.

 

“Well Jamie’s pretty smart, I’m sure he could invent something for it, right Jay?” The young woman replied, turning over to look at Tony with an expectant look.

 

Tony smirked, and proudly declared,”Of course I could… If I had the right materials. I’m not a rich kid, like you Chikara.”

 

The girl’s smug face turned into a betrayed one at Tony’s teasing. She leaned back, placing a hand over her heart. “You wound me, Jay!” She fake sobbed,”And for that, you are no longer getting a share of my caviar.”

 

The genius chuckled, the warmth in his heart growing stronger. “Well, I can think of worse things,” He teased once more.

 

“I’d rather eat dog food,” Atsuko added,”Gourmet meal compared to those fish eggs.”

 

The group laughed as Chikara fell into another rant, simply enjoying the company of their friends. Atsuko then turned to Tony, softly saying,”That reminds me, could you help me with the animals today like I mentioned?”

 

Tony nodded. “Of course I can, what are friends for?”

 

Chikara threw her chopsticks at his face as she screamed,“Friends. don’t. insult. CAVIAR!”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

After school, Tony followed Atsuko to the animal shelter to see the two animals that Atsuko had mentioned earlier in the day. The shelter was filled with meows, barks, yips, and the occasional screeches.

 

“They’re back here,” Atsuko said, heading to a green colored door. There were several bird cages inside, although most of the birds were relaxed and only watched them curiously. However, Tony could see two large, tall items covered by blankets. _Gee, I wonder which ones I’m here to see…_

 

Sure enough, Atsuko gently pulled the blankets off the cages. Instantly, two violent screeches echoed through the air. In the first cage was a cockatoo who had a pink tint to their white feathers, it’s crest was raised all the way up, revealing the salmon colored feathers hidden in it. It’s feathers were ruffled like popcorn, wings spread out, and beak open in a wide screech. Tony noticed it had several patches of feathers missing.

 

The second was a macaw who was very much in the same defensive position, except for the ruffled feathers started red at the tip of the beak and then melted into an orange color, the tip of the wings and long tail a gentle blue. Wait.. When Tony looked closer, he realized that the poor creature only had one wing. The other was nowhere to be found.

 

Atsuko backed away, making their screeches calm down the slightest bit. “They’re a salmon crested cockatoo and a camelot macaw. A friend of their owner brought them in to save them. I guess that their owner only bought them for show, and got angry whenever they needed anything. The camelot lost his wing because a wound got infected and we had no choice but to amputate it. They’re extremely aggressive with everyone, even the other birds.”

 

Tony frowned, watching the birds closer. The looks in their eyes, he knew them well. They were betrayed by the one they should have been able to trust the most, and now they were scared of what others may do.

 

It hurt Tony’s heart, because he knew exactly what that felt like.

 

He turned to look at the taller male. “So they were with the same owner? Different cages or same cages?”

 

“Same cage, but it was a really small one,” Atsuko said,”I took it apart as soon as I could, so they never have to see it again.”

 

His words suddenly gave Tony an idea. He watched the cockatoo a minute more, noticing how his eyes seemed to flicker towards the camelot’s direction; He seemed to be looking for the other bird.

 

Tony slowly moved forward, and the screeching started once more. He placed his hands on the camelot’s cage, ignoring the bird’s attempts to bite at his fingers. Then, he slowly pushed the large cage until it was right next to the cockatoo’s. Afterwards, Tony stepped back again.

 

The birds’ screeching suddenly stopped, and feathers slowly began to calm down. Then, the Camelot leaned forwards, pressing his beak against the cage bars, and releasing gentle noises. The cockatoo did the sake, the bears as close as possible, and made the same small noises back.

 

Atsuko, shocked, turned towards the redhead with gratitude in his eyes. “I never even _thought_ of that…” He whispered,”Thank you so much, Jamie, you have no idea how much this means to me.”

 

Tony smiled, feeling a swell of pride rise within him. “Just remember, it’s not going to fix all the damage. They need time, effort, and comfort.” He said.

 

Atsuko nodded again, giving the redhead a big smile; Then it turned into a sheepish one. “Do you… Think you can come back and help?”

 

Tony blinked, surprise etched onto his face. “Really? You and your boss wouldn’t mind?”

 

Atsuko shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t mind at all. In fact, I think they’d like that too,” He replied, motioning to the cage once more.

 

Sure enough, when Tony looked back, he saw that the two birds were staring right at him. Their eyes seemed curious, and Tony found himself wondering exactly what they were thinking…

 

If he hadn’t already made up his mind, those eyes would have made the choice for him. He turned back to Atsuko, and gave a firm nod. “I would love to!”

 

— — — — — —

 

Tony returned to his home in a good mood, a spring in his step. He had a good day at school, the club was going well, and for some reason helping those birds had been the icing on the cake.

 

Just as he turned the corner, Tony found himself scrambling to a stop. Alex was outside, standing by a rusty looking van. A large man with a big jacket and a cigarette. They were talking casually, but in hushed tones at the same time.

 

Tony slunk back, leaning as close as he could and listening to the conversation as best he could. They were talking too quietly for Tony to catch much, be he heard words like ‘Meeting Place’ and ‘The stuff’

 

Finally, after five minutes of listening, Tony heard Alex say,”Alright, by then I’ll have the stuff and see you then.”

 

The van then stuttered a bit before it turned on, pulling away from their apartment building and driving around the corner. Tony waited until he could barely see it before he casually turned the corner. Alex was still there, stuffing a white envelope into his pocket. When his blue eyes caught sight of Tony, the turned to ice and a large frown appeared.

 

Tony made sure to put a wide, innocent smile at his face and wave happily. Alex quickly grew confused and frustrated at the reaction, and quickly stormed into the house. Tony’s innocent smile morphed into a satisfied smirk.

 

 

_Enjoy this little game of chess while you can, Alex. Because sooner or later, I’ll hit checkmate._

_  
_

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

Two Weeks Later

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Some time had passed, and Tony found that his life was getting busier. Not only was he working on schoolwork and keeping an eye on Alex, but he was helping out Atsuko with the two birds.

 

Tony didn’t really understand it, but the birds seemed to be growing fond of him. At first, he simply sat next to them and talked. They sat as close to each other as possible and watched him from the back of their cage, but slowly began moving forward. Atsuko was ecstatic, and was hoping that Tony would be able to get them feeling safe again very soon. And, even though Tony wouldn’t admit it, he was hoping too.

 

Another time consuming event was working out. Whenever he had free time, Tony was trying to follow the Avengers workout routine to the best of his ability. Due to his arc reactor and age, the workouts had been more difficult for him and he often had do sit out. Now, once again the age of a teenager, he finally had a chance to be in shape. Not only that, he was finally getting results.

 

Jamie’s body had gone from lanky to lithe with some actual muscle definition. He knew others noticed the change as well, considering that the bullies who used to taunt him, Chikara, Atsuko, and Nanami seemed _much_ less eager to do so. Oh yeah, and punching one of them hard enough to make them hit a nearby wall also helped.

 

Although all of those were time consuming, Tony found that one of the most eventful thing happening was in the science club. Finally, finally they were getting results with the little robots. And it was finally time for them to have their first genuine test.

 

Tony practically ran to the science room, ignoring the clunking of the plastic bin in his bag. He slid the door open, only to freeze in hesitation. Next to Mr. Watanabe was a man who looked about the same age, maybe a little older with salt and pepper hair and beetle black eyes.

 

“Oh! Here’s the genius now!” Watanabe said, motioning to Tony. “Jamie, I’d like you to meet a colleague of mine, Pierrot Tucker!”

 

Tony quickly bowed politely. “Pleasure to meet you, sir. I would introduce myself, but it seems that you already know who I am,” Tony joked.

 

Mr. Tucker released an amused chuckle. “Ah! You remind me of Shou when he was your age!” The man said in very accented Japanese, it sounded like a French accent. By the way Mr. Watanabe blushed, Tony guessed that he was this Shou that Mr. Tucker spoke of.

 

“When I heard of the project you young ones had started, I couldn’t help but ask to watch!” The doctor cheerfully continued.

 

Chikara, who Tony hadn’t hear come in, answered,”Well we’ll be sure to impress you like crazy, sir!”

 

Mr. Tucker smiled, and it seemed that her words had been exactly what he had been hoping to hear. The small group looked at each other, determination glowing in their eyes. In that moment, they realized they had a lot to prove.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- -- --

 

They took about two hours to get everything ready. They filled a tank with water, got their little gray, flat prototype (made of recycled metal and wires) ready, and cut up plastic into varying sizes to try and their fishing net. Then, they placed a goldfish they had bought from the pet store inside. Atsuko was worried about it getting harmed, but Tony assured him that the fish would be fine. Mr. Watanabe also allowed them to use his laptop to run the robot’s program.

 

Finally, everything was set up. Tony began to turn on the bot, and Atsuko dumped in the plastic. Then, Nanami and Chikara dropped the little robot into the water, and Tony turned it on.

 

All of them watched with bated breath as the robot slowly began to scan the water. Tony’s mismatched eyes constantly shifted from the code to the robot. Finally, he whispered,”It’s seen the plastic”

 

Then, the blue laser came out, hitting a rather large piece of plastic. They all held their breath, watching as the piece of plastic slowly dissolved into nothingness. Then, the robot shuddered and shut down. The little fish continued to swim, completely unaffected by what happened.

 

After a pregnant pause, Nanami let out an excited squeal, jumping up and down. “It works! It really works!” She exclaimed.

 

Chikara and Atsuko joined her cheers- one much louder than the other -and Tony felt a wide smile crawl up his face. Of course, the genius never had a doubt that their project was going to work; But seeing it in action, and seeing the excitement of his friends, made it the most amazing thing he had ever built.

 

“ _Quel_ _génie!_ ” Mr. Tucker exclaimed, leaning so close to the tank his nose almost touched it. “Shou, you told me these children were good, but not _how_ good! This.. This is genius!”

 

Chikara, surprisingly, was the one to modestly reply,”Not really, Mr. Tucker. Jamie is the real genius! He built the robot, made all the calculations, and even programmed it!”

 

Tony quickly hurried over, grabbing her hand. “But you guys helped design it, and figure out what ideas worked best! You all even decided on the laser and what formulas to use! It was a team effort, a damn good one too!”  


Mr. Tucker exclaimed some more in French before turning to them. “Just another reason you are all incredible! Please, this cannot remain simply a prototype! We must help it gain the attention it deserves!”

 

Mr. Watanabe hummed in agreement, typing something on his computer. “You know, Tokyo University has an annual science fair, the news always covers it very well. Maybe they’ll let us have a booth?”

 

The group of teenagers all nodded eagerly, eyes glowing with hope and excitement at the prospect of being in such an event.

 

Watanabe grinned and said,”Well, I’ll get started on calling them right away! You guys clean up and then you can all head home. Be sure to tell your parents about what’s going on, okay?”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

The teens didn’t complain once while cleaning up the classroom, too excited about their possible participation in the science fair to whine about sweeping. It took longer than they expected to finish up, but they all said goodbye and headed out with a spring in their step.

 

Tony walked down the streets, his own heart glowing with pride much like the setting sun he was watching. That’s when his phone buzzed, catching him off guard. He pulled the phone out, noticing that he had a voicemail from his father.

 

He pressed the play button, bringing the phone up to his ear. “Hey Jay! I’m guessing you’re still at school, but I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be staying late or possibly overnight here because of our meetings, but don’t worry! Alex offered to stay home and watch Lucy, he said to take all the time you need. Love you!”

 

Despite his father’s cheerful tone, Tony felt fear and dread fill his bloodstream. Something was wrong, Alex was planning something, doing something. Tony knew something was wrong.

 

Run! His voice- but it wasn’t his voice- yelled in his head. Stop him, stop Alex! Don’t let him get away!

 

Tony took off, running as fast as he could and weaving through the crowds as fast as he possibly could. He had to get home he had to! He had to stop Alex!  


It might be his only chance.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Tony skidded to a stop across the street of their apartment building. His mismatched eyes locked onto the scene, heart dropping. He saw the same rusty van along with another, smaller car. There was a muscular man and scrawny man with tattoos all over their arms coming out of the stairwell, carrying items that Tony recognized from their house.

 

Although Tony was growing angrier by the minute, the flames were quickly snubbed by confusion when he saw the scrawny man stomp around the corner. He then kicked the metal trash can that he hadn’t seen before, yelling,”Shut the fuck up!” Then, he stomped away once more.

 

Tony backed away a bit, scurrying across the street towards the trash can. As he got closer, Tony realized that something in the trash can was crying. He lifted the top off of the can and gasped.

 

“Lucy!” He whispered frantically, pulling the sobbing, grime covered baby out of her prison. He held her against his chest, cooing softly and rocking her. _Alex, you bastard! This is your baby sister! Where is that fucker!?_

 

Just as the little girl began to calm down, the scrawny man swung around the corner once more. “I said, SHUT-”

 

The trash can that the baby had previously been in rolled forward, slamming into the man’s legs and sending him face-first into the ground. He didn’t get up. Tony noticed a gleam on the ground net to him. A switchblade? Aren’t those illegal?

 

A gasp caught his attention, his mismatched eyes recognizing their neighbor, an old woman named Misaki. Her hand went over her mouth. “Oh my! What-”

 

Tony hurriedly handed her Lucy, and said,”Please, call the police! I don’t know what Alex and those guys are trying to do, but it isn’t good!”

 

The old woman nodded, and scurried back into her apartment. Tony watched her go, making sure they were both safe before he grabbed the switchblade off the ground. A plan was already formulating in his mind.

 

The genius quickly snuck over to the cars, waiting until the muscular man had gone inside before he began to use the switchblade to help remove the protective cap over the valve stem, and remove the valve stem as carefully as he could. The tires began to deflate, and he made sure to hide the caps.

 

When he got to the second car, he was carefully undoing the valve when the car door to the van slammed shut. He jumped, the knife stabbing the tire and releasing a loud noise as the pressure suddenly escaped.

 

“Hey!” A voice yelled, and the muscular man ran around the corner. “You! What the fuck are you doing?!”

 

Tony’s mismatched eyes widened, a horrified squeak escaped him, and he quickly scrambled onto the hood of the car and then the roof. Narrowly avoiding the man’s hands, Tony leapt onto the top of the van, which creaked and wobbled under the sudden weight.

 

The man followed, trying to grab the teen. Once again, Tony jumped up, grabbing the balcony of a nearby balcony. A meaty hand grabbed his leg, sending jolts of panic through him. He grabbed a nearby potted plant, slamming it against the man’s head, and sending him to the ground screaming in pain.

 

Deciding that the stairs were a bad idea, Tony climbed all the way to his balcony and leapt on, kneeling down and tugging the door slightly. _Good, it’s unlocked._

 

He carefully slid the balcony door open, noticing that the only person was a tattooed woman staring constantly through the peephole.

 

The redhead crept forward, until he was right behind her. He tapped her left shoulder, making her turn around to try and find out who had touched her. Quickly, he shoved open the door, pushing her out into the hallway, and slamming the door shut, locking and latching it.

 

She frantically pounded on the door, but Tony ignored her. He snuck over to his room, listening. Nothing… He went to Alex’s room. Nothing…  Then, he went to their father’s door. This time, he heard mumbling, muttering.

 

“So, you know where your dad keeps his savings? And you’re gonna take it all?” An unfamiliar voice asked.

 

“He didn’t hide it very well!” Alex’s snide tone answered,”Now shut up! Once I crack this code, I can give all this money to you guys! Then, I can finally be a part of the yakuza!”

 

Tony’s eyes widened, backing up. It all makes sense now… The money, dropping out. He was trying to join a crime organization!

 

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” The voice answered, and the door was pushed open, Tony waited for a second before he threw himself against the door as hard as possible. It swung back, slamming into the person on the other side so hard Tony was pretty sure he heard a crack.

 

Tony swung around the door, eyes locking onto a shocked looking Alex. The surprise, however, quickly morphed into morphed into a murderous rage.

 

“You fucking brat!” He yelled,”Why do you have to ruin everything I’m trying to do?! Why did you have to come into this damn world?!”

 

“Ruin?!” Tony sputtered,”You bullied me constantly, you lied, you stole from dad, and now you’re trying to rob us blind and join a gang! Please, enlighten me, how is any of this my fucking fault?! What am I ruining?!”

 

“MY LIFE!” Alex yelled,”Why couldn’t you have just killed yourself properly?! You were a mistake, don’t you get it?! You were never supposed to be here!”

 

Tony frowned, confusion overflowing his mismatched eyes. “W-what are you talking about?” He demanded.

 

Alex sneered, and pointed at the teen. “Mom and Dad only wanted one child. Bt then, they got pregnant with you. When you were born, they didn’t do the smart thing and get rid of you. Then, they had Lucy. You TOOK THEM FROM ME! You’re both fucking mistakes, trash! Why am I the only one who sees that?!”

 

Tony advanced forward. “I may have been a mistake, but it was in no way my fault,” He pointed out,”Alex, please. Big brothers are supposed to protect and help their siblings. What would mother think? _Please_ , rethink what you’re doing. Give us a chance!”

 

For a moment, Alex’s eyes seemed to soften. He moved forward, reaching out to Tony. Tony reached out as well, desperate to avoid more violence. But then… That was exactly what he got.

 

A flash of silver went through the air, and a knife embedded Tony right in his chest. He screamed, stumbling to the ground in shock. Above him, Alex’s icy blue eyes stared down at him. “The only chance you deserve is the chance to die.” He declared.

 

In that moment, Tony realized that Alex as beyond saving.

 

Alex would kill him… With no regrets.

 

Tony scrambled back, trying desperately to run. But the man’s foot slammed down on his calf, pain exploding through him. Several more blows hit him, several more slices across his skin, but it all seemed to pass in a blur.

 

Then, his legs were pinned, and arms wrapped around his neck. They squeezed, and Tony gasped frantically, scratching at Alex’s face, trying to run, trying to struggle, but he couldn't get away.

 

Alex spoke, but Tony couldn’t heart it. The blood rushed in his ears, pain throbbing through his whole body, and black floating into his vision. Tony kept fighting, he couldn’t stop, he couldn’t let Alex win! But in the end… Everything faded away. Strangely enough, as things went black, he thought he heard his father’s voice...

 

 

_“What did you do?! What the fuck did you do to him?! Oh my god…”_

_  
_

 

 

_“Jamie! JAMIE!!”_

_  
_

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

When Tony opened his eyes, he sitting on a wooden pier, and staring at an endless ocean and clear blue sky. Within the waters, there was moon jellyfish floating all around. Tony frowned, staring at the jellies with confusion. _Where… Am I?_

 

“Thank you…”

 

Tony jumped, whipping around to see a familiar lanky form staring at him. It was Jamie, but before Tony had gotten in shape. The scrawny body and pale form looked miserable, but he was smiling. Tony turned, looking at his own reflection. Unlike the last time he had been in a dream such as this, he wasn’t in Tony Stark’s body… Instead, he was still Jamie.

 

The real Jamie moved, sitting next to him on the pier with his legs dangling underneath him. “I never knew why Alex hated me and Lucy…” The voice Tony had come to recognize as his own whispered,”And not only that… You stopped him. You stopped everyone! The bullies, Furukawa, _everyone_. You did what I never could.”

 

Tony frowned despite the praise, looking at the teen. “Am I… Dead? Did I die?” He asked, his voice seeming to bounce and send ripples on the water.

 

Jamie shook his head. “No, you’re still alive,” He answered,”I just needed to talk to you, and thank you; Thank you for fixing everything.”

 

The redhead closed his eyes, releasing a happy sigh. Tony, however, wasn’t happy. “If everything is fixed, then why don’t you come back?” He asked.

 

Jamie frowned, turning to look at the genius. Nervously, Tony continued. “It was my body that died, not yours. I shouldn’t be here, I should have been the one that died. I shouldn’t have stolen your life.” He finished.

 

The teen sighed, placing his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Tony, you shouldn't have died. I had made my peace that night on that bridge, I wanted to die,” He declared,”If I had lived, nothing would have changed. You’ve done what I couldn’t do. Dad is happy… So is Lucy. Chikara and Atsuko are the happiest they’ve been in so long, and Nanami is finally around friends that don’t care about popularity. That was all you, you did that.”

 

Tony blushed, lowered his head to look at his lap. So, Jamie continued. “And… I have a feeling you don’t want to leave either. Don’t act like you don’t, I know you do. Why do yo think you aren’t in your old body here? In your mind, you’ve become part of my family. And you’re right, you’re family. Mom thinks so too.”

 

Tony’s eyes widened at the mention of the woman whom the whole family seemed to love. “Oh,” He whispered,”I think… I understand.”

 

Jamie nodded softly, and nervously stuttered,”I-It may seem selfish, but I can’t go back. I’ve been with all the family I lost, in a place of peace, and you’ve helped them all more than I ever could. And… You helped me the most. Just now, when you stopped Alex, you got rid of the last thing tying me to Earth. I can finally move on properly. You have no clue how much this means to me.”

 

Tony saw the true feelings Jamie had, the happiness he held at the thought of finally moving on. The genius sniffled, wiping the tears from his eyes, and nodding. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” Tony promised,”I’ll take care of dad and Lucy, I’ll take care of our family.”

 

Jamie smiled even wider, his scrawny arms pulling the other man into a tight hug. “That’s all I could hope for, Tony,” He whispered, rising back onto his feet. He then walked down the pier, and into the bright light. Tony saw a woman with fiery red hair waiting for him. She and Tony gave Tony a small wave, before they wandered off into the bright light beyond the pier.

 

Tony stood up too, and wandered to the edge of the pier. Somehow, he knew what to do. He jumped into the water, watching as the moon jellyfish seemed to surround him. When they touched him, something seemed to fill his brain.

 

 

_It was… memories! Jamie is giving me his memories!_

_  
_

 

Tony quickly opened his mind more, accepting the information that Jamie was giving him. Soon enough, Tony’s own vision was surrounded by the beautiful jellyfish, all giving him the memories of the life he now had. Birthdays, riding bikes, learning to read, schooling, bullying, the jump from the bridge. Everything.

 

Then, the jellyfish came to surround him, his own vision going completely white.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

This time, he awoke to a slight throb of pain, the beep of a heart monitor, and the sobbing of a familiar person.

 

Tony’s eyes blinked several times, clearing his vision. Sure enough, the man at his bedside, holding his hand, was the sobbing form of his father.

 

“Oh Jamie… I’m so sorry,” He croaked, sniffling and wiping his eyes, head lowered towards the dirty tile ground.

 

Tony felt a warmth fill his body, and he softly croaked,”Sorry for what, dad? I don’t think you were the one that stabbed me…”

 

His dad gasped, jerking up to stare wide eyed at the redhead. His eyes then began to flow with tears again, tumbling down his cheeks. “Jamie!” He exclaimed, gently gathering the brunette into a hug. “You’re okay! You’re okay!”

 

Tony felt his own eyes burn with tears, his tired arms going to weakly wrap around the other man. “I’m okay dad, we’re both okay,” He whispered, before leaning into the man’s shoulder and bursting into tears.

 

As they held each other close, two brand new stars in the sky shone their beautiful, bright lights down on them. Tony noticed these new lights, and found that the glee in his heart became even stronger.

 

Finally, everything was over.

 

Tony was safe, and so was his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Everyone is happy!
> 
> Next Chapter: We span through the next 3 years to see the events Tony gets into, and a certain director gets suspicious..


	9. As Time Goes By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We look at some significant events in Tony's life over four years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Two chapters out in less than a week! I hope you all are happy :) I just really wanted to finish this chapter!

“...And your injuries were three stab wounds, internal bleeding, some major bruising around the arms and neck, the broken leg, and a concussion,” The doctor explained to him and his father. “The stab wounds are stitched but I would like them to close before we release you, you will be on crutches for a few months. 

 

“Oh, and I’d prefer if you didn’t speak much or at least not loudly, as your choking event was severe and really dug into your neck. Luckily your trachea is alright after something like that. You’re a very tough kid”

 

Tony nodded, his hand unconsciously rubbing at the bruising around his neck. It was deep purple, and very obviously in the form of handprints. “Thank you for taking such good care of me,” He began sweetly,”When can I get out?”

 

The doctor laughed, rolling his eyes. “Trying to butter me up, are you?” He asked,”Well good luck, because you’re sick in here for a couple weeks at the  _ least.  _

 

The redhead pouted, slumping, and shrugging half heartedly as he muttered,”It was worth a shot.”

 

The doctor laughed again before he left the room, and the professional presence was soon replaced with another. This time, however, it was a police officer. 

 

“It’s good to hear that you’re feeling better, Mr. McCintyre,” The officer said, pulling up one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs to take a seat in. “My name is Officer Kiroku. I’m sorry to pester you so soon but we would like to get your statement as soon as possible so this can be an open and shut case, and- hopefully -you won’t have to appear in court, since we’ll have your statement and the camera footage. Do you mind?”

 

And so, Tony did. He explained to the officer everything Alex had done to him, including the insults and threats when he came back to the apartment. His father looked shocked and upset at the many things Tony mentioned, and the genius could see the puzzle pieces finally falling into place.

 

After he finally finished, the officer turned off the recording device he had. “Thank you, Jamie,” He began,”Not just for the statement, but for what you did with those cars. If you hadn’t deflated to tires, we wouldn’t have been able to catch them. I have no idea how you managed to do that, but thank you.”

 

Tony couldn’t help himself, he smiled with pride. The cop smiled back, and then slyly said,”You know, you would make a pretty good cop.” 

 

The genius chuckled. “Thank you for the offer, sir,” He answered,”But, I think I’ve done enough hero work for  _ two  _ lifetimes _.”  _

 

— — — — — —

 

After the officer left, Tony settled back in the hospital bed with a happy sigh. When he turned to look at his dad, however, his smile fell. His father’s face was completely wracked with guilt. 

 

“Dad?” He asked softly. 

 

The man didn’t look at him, instead he softly said,”I should have listened to you. I should have listened to  _ anyone.  _ I knew Alex was up to something… Well, at least I did in the back of my mind. But I ignored it…”

 

Tony frowned deeper, reaching out a hand. “Dad, you couldn’t have guessed,” He explained,”He had you all fooled, and he was your son-“

 

“Alex isn’t my son,” The brunette firmly stated,”He lost that title the moment I realized who he truly was. I only have one son, and that’s you.”

 

The genius wanted to feel some kind of pride at the statement, but all he felt was sadness. His father was hurting, and trying to process just how much Alex fooled him. It was tearing him apart...

 

Tony, feeling desperate to help his father, hesitantly mentioned,”You know, dad, I remember now. My memories are back; I remember everything.”

 

Those blue eyes widened, jerking up to stare at the redhead. “You do?” He croaked. 

 

Tony nodded cheerfully. “Everything! I remember it all! Like when I was eight and we went to Disney Tokyo for my birthday, or how when Lucy was born you kicked that nurse out of the hospital room. I remember everything!” 

 

The older man’s eyes burned with tears, and he quickly hugged Tony as gently, but as quickly, as he possibly good. “Oh Jamie! I’m so happy for you!” He exclaimed, kissing the teen’s cheek in an extremely motherly move. 

 

“Although,” His father continued,”I wish that it could have happened under better circumstances.” 

 

Tony, unable to help himself, teasingly answered,”You’re right, I’ll tell the next home invaders to reschedule it to next Wednesday.” 

 

His father froze for a moment, before bursting into laughter. “Okay, you little smartass,” He replied playfully. 

 

“Hey, like father like son!” Tony teased back, letting the man hug him a little tighter, and enjoying every second of it.

 

— — — — — — 

Two Weeks Later

— — — — — —

 

“Jay to the A-M-I-E!” 

 

“Hi Jamie!”

 

“Hey Jay.”

 

His glee was overflowing when he saw his three friends coming through into his hospital room. “Oh thank god!” He exclaimed, sitting up in the bed and reaching out for his friends. ”I’m going stir-crazy in here! Please, help me escape!” 

 

Atsuko shook his head, giving his friend a look of pity. “Sorry, Jamie, we can’t do that,” He answered.

 

“But… We can do this!” Nanami whispered in a conspiratory tone, reaching into her back and pulling out a rolled up bag of McDonalds. Tony gasped in excitement, taking the bag from the girl with a thankful smile.

 

“We also brought your homework,” Atsuko mentioned,”So you won’t get behind on work, but that can wait until later.”

 

He gave the tall teen a thankful smile, and opened the bag up, placing some of the delicious salted potato sticks into his mouth and moaning happily. “You are all angels!” He complimented.

 

Chikara smiled proudly, plopping into the seat next to him. “Well we’re about to become saints in your eyes, Jay!” She continued,”Mr. Watanabe told us today that we got a booth in the science fair! We’ll all get to be in it, including you!”

 

Tony felt his heart soar. “Hell yeah!” He cheered,”This calls for a celebration! Fries for everyone!”

 

He pulled everything out of the bag, handing it out. Everyone excitedly took their share, eating and chatting together. At one point, Tony’s nurse wandered into the room. His brown eyes widened at the sight of all the food, and the four teenagers froze; hoping that if they didn’t move, they may not be seen.

 

The nurse them smiled, and whispered,”I don’t blame you, and I didn’t see anything.” He then turned, and wandered out of the room.

 

The teens all sighed in relief, looking at each other with wide grins. “Well,” Tony said,”I guess you’re not the only angels here today, huh?”   
  


\-- -- -- -- -- --

One Week Later

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

After another seven days of checkups, horrible hospital food, sneaky snacks and homework from his friends, Tony was finally cleared to go home.

 

They wheeled him out to the car, setting him in the front seat. His nurse then said,”Be sure to not use that foot as much as possible. You’ll come in for checkups and physical therapy, so I’ll know if you’re doing anything your not supposed to.”

 

Tony quirked an eyebrow at the ironic statement, before nodding. “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything stupid,” He answered,”It’s too much work.”

 

The nurse smiled, before turning his eyes back to Tony’s father, who was buckling Lucy in the back. “Scott, you have the hospital’s number if you have any questions,” He began, those chocolate orbs flickering towards Tony for a moment before he said,”And- um.. My cell phone number? You have it too?”

 

“Don’t worry, Tenshi, I do!” The brunette answered quickly,”You know, in case of… In case I can’t get ahold of the hospital!”

 

_ You are both really bad at excuses… _ Tony decided as the nurse walked away. Just as his father pulled the car out of park, Tony sneakily asked,”So, first name basis with the nurse?”

 

His father blushed, accidentally yanking the car into neutral out of surprise, and quickly explained,”W-well, you know… Three weeks in the hospital, we’ve had enough time to talk.”

 

“Mmm hmm, okay,” Tony replied, deciding to drop the subject and focus on the ride home. 

 

He calmly watched the scenery roll by, only to frown when he noticed that they had just passed by their apartment complex. “Um.. Dad?” He awkwardly said,”We just- Um.. We just went right past home?”   
  


“No we didn’t,” His father cryptically said, and didn’t say anything after that. He just continued driving, but Tony saw an excited smile climb up his face.

 

After a few more minutes of driving, their car stopped in front of a two story house with a smaller shed on the left side of the house. It had cream walls and a black roof, a cream colored wall fence with a black gate and a bigger gate on the other side where a car could go. 

 

His father stopped in front of the gate, opening it up with a button on his keychain, and pulling the car in. Finally, what was going on clicked in Tony’s mind. “Wait-“

 

“Welcome home, Jamie!” His father exclaimed, smiling excitedly at the kids. “We bought a house!” 

 

Tony stared at the house in shock for a moment, before growing a wide smile on his face. “We did?! Oh dad! This is awesome!” He exclaimed. 

 

With his amazing dad powers, the man somehow managed to hold Lucy and help Tony limp into the house on his crutches. After the door opened, Tony didn’t even care if he caught flies, his jaw was dropped the entire time. 

 

In the entryway, there was an area to take off your outdoor shoes and put on indoor shoes (Tony somehow managed to slip on the one he could wear). It led to a living room and a guest room. 

 

The guest room was located on the first floor, near the main entrance. It had a big closet and some other things for visits. It could also be used for parties and some special days on the Japanese calendar.

 

The living room had two couches that face away from each other and a small table in the middle. There was a TV already hooked up to their video game systems. It lead to the dining room and had a door to the first floor bathroom. 

 

The dining room consisted of a large mahogany table covered with a cream table cloth. The kitchen located next to the table included a stove, a microwave, a sink and a refrigerator. There was also a large black shelf filled with plates and cups. It lead to the backyard and the laundry room.   
  


The laundry room was a small room used to wash clothes. There was a large washing machine and baskets to hold clothes. They was an area where clothes could be hung out to dry in the backyard, which was actually a good size even with the shed in it. The wall fence was also made large by the wooden fence on top of it. 

 

Back in the house, they took the stairway up to the second floor. There was a family phone was located nearby as well as large phone books.   
  


Down the hallway was four doors. Three were bedrooms, and one was the second floor bathroom. There was a small balcony that connected two of the rooms and overlooked the backyard and the alleyway behind it. 

 

When they came back down to the living room, Tony felt tears fill his eyes. The house may have been tiny compared to what he had lived in before, but it was warm, cozy, and… Perfect. He had never had such a thing, a family home. 

 

Unable to handle himself, he turned and hugged the man again, sobbing happily. “It’s amazing!” He choked out,”It’s perfect!” 

 

His father managed to keep ahold of both him and Lucy, comforting the crying teen for a couple of minutes. After a pregnant pause, he softly said,”You know, Jamie, you’re the reason we have this house.”

 

Tony sniffled a bit, looking up at the older man. “I am?” He croaked. 

 

“Yeah,” The man continued,”If you hadn’t stopped Alex from stealing all those things in my room, I would have lost the savings I had been keeping to buy this place. I had been keeping it a surprise, and you saved that surprise!”

 

The redhead couldn’t help but grin with pride, glowing with his achievement. He then gave one last, tight hug, kissed his sister’s pudgy cheek, and pulled back onto his crutches. 

 

“You know, this calls for a celebration!” Tony exclaimed,”What do you think, let’s break in that new kitchen!” 

 

His dad instantly groaned, throwing his head back. “Hell no,” He, in English, declared,”Setting everything up in time already had me exhausted. Let’s just order a pizza!”

 

Tony raised one crutch up in agreement. “Even better!”

 

— — — — — — 

One Month Later

— — — — — — 

 

The four teenagers wrung their hands, looking around at the crowd of people around them. Even Tony had to admit, he was a little nervous. It reminded him a lot of his days at MIT, everyone was VERY serious about their projects. And, considering they were in their high school uniforms, it was easy to tell that they were  _ not  _ in college. 

 

“Do you think we should check his wires again?” Nanami nervously asked,”Maybe tighten the screws?”

 

Chikara sighed, slumping over. “Nanami, if we tighten his screws anymore he won’t be able to move,” She pointed out. 

 

Nanami sighed again, rubbing at her arms. “I’m sorry… I can’t help it, I’ve never been to one of these things before,” She squeaked out, looking towards Atsuko, who was watching the three goldfish in their tank with interest. 

 

Tony tapped on the table, too tired to climb onto his crutches. “Hey, it’ll be okay,” He reassured,”We made this robot, and we did a damn good job! Let’s let everyone know!”

 

The other three nodded, grins overcoming the nervous frowns on their faces. And so, they put on their act. They went through their environmental reasons and showed how their little robot worked. Soon enough, they were gathering quite a lot of attention. 

 

On their sixth demonstration of the device, a couple of men and women in suits joined the group. They managed to clear their way through the crowd, and one of them asked,”You’re the high school group, right?”

 

“Yes sir, that’s us,” Atsuko answered, standing to his full height after he finished checking on the fish. 

 

The suit-clad group turned to each other, whispering for a couple minutes. Then, they turned back. A woman said,”We know that we only promised you a booth, but you all have impressed us greatly. How would you feel about presenting your project on stage?”

 

They were all so shocked at the request that all they could do was nod excitedly, eyes wide, and skin pale. 

 

“Good!” The woman continued, brown eyes happy. “Just choose a presenter and decide what you’re going to say. You’ll be presenting at 5:30, okay?”

 

Once again, the doe-eyed group of teens could only nod, watching the judges wander to the next booth. They remained in that shocked silence for several long moments, and then Chikara let out a shocked squeal.

 

“Oh my god!” She exclaimed,”I didn’t- We… I’m not ready for this! What will we do? What will we say!”

 

Atsuko looked down, wringing his large hands. “I’ve never been a good public speaker,” He nervously muttered.

 

“I mean.. I could try but I don’t think I can remember all of it!” Nanami frantically squeaked out,

 

Tony quickly pushed himself onto his crutches, firmly stating,”Don’t worry, you guys. I’ll do it! I’ll, obviously, need you guys to carry everything up there.”

 

The trio gave him a hesitant look, turning back to each other before Nanami asked,”A-are you sure?”

 

Tony smiled, giving a firm nod of determination. “I’m positive, Nanami,” He replied,”Besides, this isn’t the craziest thing I’ve had to do, right?”

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

Word spread that the high schoolers were getting to present their project, and there was quite a crowd in front of the stage when their time came. There was also a camera crew, which made Tony a little nervous. But, he kept firm with his decision to give the speech. Atsuko and Chikara helped him set up the tank with the fish, and Nanamie got the computer program ready. 

 

The school was kind enough to give Tony a microphone he could attach to his ear, and when the clock read five-thirty, the redhead took a deep breath and began his speech.

 

“We are in a crucial part of our world’s life,” He started,”Teetering off the cliff of no return, when our planet won’t be able to save itself from what we’ve done to it. We need to act NOW. So, my team and I have created our robot. With him, we will have the chance to clean our oceans of all the trash we’ve put in it!”

 

They demonstrated their robot, and watched the awed faces of the crowd when they realized that the plastic was completely gone and the fish were perfectly unharmed.

 

Once he had their attention again, Tony said,”With these robots, we will be able to help clean the ocean. But, they can’t be the only ones. We need to all work together to save our planet, because we don’t get a second chance. So, consider our little robot as a big step towards a brighter future!”

 

The crowd erupted into applause, the judges and camera crew looked pleased, and the group of teenagers smiled at each other. They knew they had done amazing. So, with the pride glowing in their chest, they gave a polite bow to the crowd. 

 

However, as Tony bowed, his eyes caught sight of an american man in a suit… He looked an awful lot like…Coulson?!

 

Tony jerked up, looking towards the corner he thought he had seen the man… But he was gone. The teen frowned, shaking his head the slightest bit.  _ It’s nerves… I’m just nervous, that’s it. _

 

“Come on, Jamie! They’re going to announce the winners!” Chikara exclaimed, practically yanking him off of the stage to follow him back to their booth; Atsuko and Nanami following close behind.

 

Tony frowned, looking back at the empty corner confusedly. Still, there was nothing.  _ I’m just seeing things.  _ Tony decided, and went back to the booth with his friends, listening to what the judges said, and pushing the image of Phil Coulson to the back of his mind.

 

\-- -- -- -- -- --

6 Months Later

\-- -- -- -- -- --

 

“So, who am I meeting?”

 

The teenager smiled, leading his father and baby sister into the animal rescue with excitement. “You’re meeting the two birds I have been helping Atsuko with,” He explained,”They’re finally doing better around other people, so now you can meet them!”

 

They walked into the animal shelter, getting to the back room easily since Tony was now a familiar face in the area. The instant they entered the room, they were greeted; Not with screeches, but with happy trills and squawks.

 

Tony instantly lit up, heading over to the large cage that now housed both the Camelot Macaw and the Moluccan Cockatoo. They quickly climbed over to the door, growing more excited as Tony came to their door. “Hey you guys!” He greeted.

 

He opened the door, reaching his arm in. The Camelot quickly hopped on, growing quite comfortable. He scooted up to Tony’s face, rubbing his shiny beak on Tony’s cheek. The cockatoo climbed up Tony’s other arm, beginning to preen the teen’s messy red hair. 

 

His father watched the teen with a happy look, while the little girl in his arms happily exclaimed,”Birdie! Dada, birdie!”

 

“Yes! They are birdies! Very pretty birds too!” The older man cheerfully said,”Do the pretty birdies have a name, Jamie?”

 

Tony made an affirmative noise. “Yep! I named them a couple weeks ago,” Tony explained, and lifted up the cockatoo a bit. “This one is Merlin, since he’s the older of the two and the braver one.”

 

Then, he lifted up the one winged Camelot. “And this is is Archimedes, or Archie for short,” He explained, a quirk coming onto his lips. “I was going to name them after scientists but I kept thinking about how Archie is a camelot macaw and I couldn’t help myself.”

 

“I think those names are perfect,” His father declared,”They seem to like them too, almost as much as they like you.”   
  


He motioned back to the birds, who were now both preening the messy red hair as they released little chirps.

 

The owner of the shelter, a rough looking old man, came in with a soft smile on his wrinkled face. “Your son is a godsend, Mister. Those birds never trusted anyone no matter what we tried, then he came along and bonded with them in ways none of us ever managed to.”

 

Tony blushed at the praise, and softly said,”All I did was push their cages together, they just are thankful for that.”

 

The old man shook his head. “Don’t fool yourself, kid,” He declared,”Birds usually only emotionally bond with one person during their lifetime. Even though we were doing the exact same things, they bonded with  _ you _ . They only trusted us after you showed them we were okay.”

 

The teen blushed again, and sheepishly relented,”Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

 

The father’s face then turned thoughtful. “So… Birds only really bond closely with one person, and they bonded with my son?” He asked curiously. 

 

The teen hesitantly nodded, and the old man calmly said,”Yes, they did. Why do you ask?”

 

His dad’s blue eyes grew thoughtful for a long moment. Then, he snapped his fingers. “Well, then that settles it. We’re buying the birds!” He exclaimed. 

 

Tony’s eyes widened, and he managed to stutter out,”W-wait, really?? You really mean it?!”

 

His father smiled wider. “They love you, and it’s obvious you do too,” He pointed out,”And you deserve it, especially after you won that science fair! Excuse me, sir? How much would the birds and their supplies be?”

 

The old man was beaming wider than Tony had  _ ever  _ seen before, and he replied,”Considering all the work your son has done for them and us, I can cut down the price considerably. Granted, I’d still like his help whenever he has time.”

 

Tony turned to the man, heart glowing with happiness. “You don’t have to worry about that, sir, I’ll be here to help no matter what!”

 

Less than an hour later, Tony carried the two birds into their house, setting up the two large cages close to each other. He put in all the toys, letting the two birds sit on top of his desk and look around. 

 

Once he was finished, he turned to the two birds, rubbed their heads, and said,”Merlin, Archimedes, welcome home!” 

 

Tony, hearing a noise, turned to find that his father was standing in the doorway, watching the birds curiously. 

 

Feeling gratitude for the man, since he got to keep the birds, Tony crosses over to the door and took his hand. “Want to pet them?” He asked hopefully. 

 

His dad’s face filled with concern, but Tony gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, they won’t bite you, I know they won’t,” He promised. 

 

Slowly, the man held out his hand near the birds. Merlin’s crest rose a bit, while Archie backed up a little. But, his father didn’t get scared. He gave a little, hopeful grin towards the bird. Once Merlin saw that smile, he leaned his head forwards, lowered his crest, and let the man pet his head. 

 

Archimedes soon also began rubbing his head against the father’s hand, although he needed Tony’s hand near to feel safe. 

 

Noticing this, Tony’s father said,”They really do love you, Jamie.”

 

Tony looked back at the birds and smiled again, rubbing Archimedes’ head and Merlin’s chest. “Yeah,” He agreed,”And I love them too.”

 

He had been able to save the birds, and help them learn to love again, give them a second chance, give them a good home. It was an opportunity he got, and an opportunity he was glad he could give. 

 

— — — — — — 

 

It was a couple of months later that Tony’s life got a little interesting. He had been sitting on his bed, drifting off into a much needed rest when…

 

_BANG_

_  
_

 

He jolted up as Merlin and Archimedes screeched in shock, flapping violently in their cages. Tony quickly jumped over to his balcony, sliding the door open and looking out. 

 

Instead of an intergalactic warlord or an angsts god with a staff, he saw a turned over trash can with remains of fireworks next to it and a few teenagers.

 

_ Are you serious?  _ Tony thought, extremely annoyed at having being practically panic attacked awake and having his birds scared. But the last straw was when he heard his little sister crying through the other sliding door. 

 

He knelt down, grabbing one of the toys that had been left out on the balcony. It was a little broken, and obviously wasn’t in very good condition.  _ Lucy won’t miss it, she has other toys to play with.  _

 

Tony wound his arm back, aimed, and then threw as hard as he could. The little toy slammed into one of the teenager’s backs, who cried out in surprise. “What the hell? Who did that?”

 

The redhead didn’t respond; Instead, he grabbed two more and threw them at the others. The teens let out squeals again, and one turned to look where the toys came from. “Up there!” He called. 

 

The one Tony hadn’t hit yet stood up bravely, and yelled,”HEY! You wanna mess with us?!” 

As soon as he finished, another toy hit him square in between the eyes. The group then squeaked in fear and yelled,”Let’s get out of here!” 

 

Tony smiled, satisfied. He then went to the two year old’s bedroom, and lifted her out of the toddler bed. “Hey, you’re okay, you’re alright,” He cooed, rocking her a bit. 

 

The child continued to sniffle, so tony gently asked,”Hey, sweetheart. Wanna see the birdies? Will that make you feel better?” 

 

The two year old sniffled, nodding the slightest bit. “Yeah,” She croaked, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck.

 

Tony smiled, crossing back over into his room, turning on his lights, and pulling the blanket off the bird’s cages. “Hey Merlin, Archie,” Tony softly whispered,”Lucy came to say hi! Lucy, say hi!”

 

“Hi!” Lucy said, growing more excited by the minute. Merlin instantly reacted, raising his crest all the way up, while bobbing and swaying his head. Lucy giggled even more, waving her little hand. “Hi birdies!”

 

Merlin squawked again, swinging his head a little more while Archie made a few happy noises. Tony smiled, glad that the birds seemed to like Lucy so much, and asked,”Are you feeling better now, Lucy?”

 

Lucy nodded, keeping her blue eyes on the two birds. Then, between the chirps and baby babbles, Tony heard the sound of a door opening, and whispers downstairs. 

 

Feeling his nerves rise up again, Tony crept down the stairs with a mixture of fear and curiosity. As he got closer, he heard the whispers. 

 

“Scott, are you sure it’s okay?”

 

“Yes, Tenshi. Jamie and Lucy are asleep.”

 

“Are you going to tell them about…  _ Us  _ soon?” The first voice asked. 

 

“I will, I just.. I need to figure out what to say…”

 

Tony leaned around the corner, and saw the familiar figure of his father and… Tenshi, the nurse from the hospital. Instead of the normal scrubs, he was wearing a navy hoodie with a white hood and a violet shirt underneath it with some blue jeans that went perfectly with his chestnut hair. His dad was in a similar outfit, and they were sitting at the dining table… Holding hands. 

 

“Dad?” He softly asked, causing the two adults to jump, turning around in surprise. Tenshi’s brown eyes widened, and his father quickly jumped up. 

 

“J-Jamie!” He croaked our,”I um.. This isn’t- Well, it is. But I I’m.. I can explain!”

 

Tony tilted his head slightly, shifting Lucy in his arms. “Okay…” 

 

His father exchanged a nervous look with Tenshi, and then turned to Tony. “Me and Tenshi have been… dating… Since you got out of the hospital,” He admitted,”I never really had extra work meetings, I was just going on dates with him. I never thought I would fall in love with anyone other than your mother… But with Tenshi, it just felt right. I knew I could trust you to watch Lucy, but I just didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t know how you’d react, or if you thought I was betraying your mother… I’m so, so sorry...”

 

Tony cleared his throat, refusing to let the man continue. “Don’t you dare say that, Dad,” He ordered,”I love you, and so does mom. And I know mom, she wouldn’t have wanted you to stay alone forever. She’d want to see you happy, and so do I! We’re family after all. Plus, I think Tenshi is a pretty good choice.”

 

His father sighed in relief, and Tenshi blushed all the way to his ears. Then, the brunette brought Tony into a hug. “Thank you son, you have no idea how much this means to me!” He whispered. 

 

Tony smiled, leaning into the older man’s arms as he had become accustomed to. Little did his father know just how much the whole situation meant to Tony. 

 

— — — — — — 

 

Time went on, and life went on. Tony was now eighteen, getting ready to go to University, and winning several science fair along the way. 

 

Lucy was now four, and in her second year of preschool. Although many parents looked at her with worry, they soon found that the child had a pretty good grasp on Japanese. 

 

Their father had gotten a good promotion, becoming the main professor at the university he taught at, and his relationship with Tenshi was going amazing. Despite a bit of awkwardness at first, everything had begun to turn out great. 

 

When it was close to summer, their father suddenly decided that they were going on a weekend trip. He invited Tenshi, who was able to use some vacation days, to follow them. 

 

They went to some beautiful hot springs, enjoying their time as a family and the green trees that surrounded the place.

 

The weekend seemed to go by so fast, but it got slowed down by the most beautiful event Tony had ever been privy to. 

 

Near the suns rise on sunday, they took a hike to the forest, and up to a hill. At the top, you could see how the trees went on for miles. The group of four simply stood, watching the glowing light rise above the trees in awe, until Tony caught something out of the corner of his eye. His dad was reaching into his pocket! 

 

“Tenshi,” He began,”I’m glad we can watch this sunrise together, because I wanted to tell you how I think of them. Sunsets are an end, and a couple years ago the sun set on how my old life used to be. But, finally, the sunrise has come, a new beginning. I want you to be a part of it; With Jamie, Lucy… And me.”

 

Tenshi’s eyes widened, catching on to what the man was saying just before the brunette knelt down, opening up a ring box. “The three years with you, Tenshi, have been amazing, and I never want it to end!” He softly admitted,”Will you marry me?” 

 

The Japanese man’s eyes started to tear up, reaching out to take Scott’s in his own. “But.. How? Gay marriage isn’t legal in Japan!” He pointed out.

 

“We can go to America!” Tony’s father quickly exclaimed,”We can get married in my home state, and you can meet my family! And afterwards, we can even honeymoon there if you’d like!”

 

Tenshi’s eyes grew suspiciously wet, and he sniffled a bit, before nodding firmly. “Yes, Scott! The answer is yes! Let’s get married!” He happily sobbed. 

 

His father’s eyes shone as well as he slid the ring onto Tenshi’s finger. Then, they embraced, holding each other close and exchanging a loving kiss. 

 

Tenshi, remembering the kids, opened his arms to invite the two into the hug. Lucy giggled, throwing herself into the embrace while Tony quickly followed. 

 

They all held each other tight, until Lucy softly asked,”Daddy? Does this mean Tenshi is part of the family now?”

 

Their father smiled, ruffling the girl’s curly hair. “Yes Lucy, it does,” He declared, before they all fell into the hug once more. 

 

Tony felt his heart glow with happiness. Yes, that’s what they were. A family. They may be a little different than other families, but they still were one. It was something Tony had never had in his first life, and was the most beautiful gift he had ever been given. 

 

This was his life, and he never wanted anything to change.

 

— — — — — —

 

“Sir, we have news about the kid!” 

 

Nick Fury looked up from his computer screen, walking over to where Maria Hill and Phil Coulson were leaning. 

 

When he looked over the data, he saw that it was hacked information they got from airlines. One of the names on it caught his line.  _ Jamie Mcintyre and his family booked a flight to New York City… _

 

“We finally have a chance to speak to the punk,” Marina pointed out, growing excited at the idea. 

 

“Your orders, director?” Phil asked, turning back to the man curiously. 

 

Fury, however, was in deep thought. For long time, they had been watching Jamie. He was showing an extreme level of intelligence that he hadn’t shown before. Especially at those science fairs… With their crazy robots or experiments that always caught the public’s eye. However, the most suspicious thing to Fury, was just how similar some of the creations were to Tony Stark’s old ones. 

 

Not only that, but what fifteen year old knew how to completely incapacitate Yakuza members, and completely remove tire valves using only a switchblade?! Surely there was something going on behind the scenes… 

 

But, they couldn’t touch the kid. At least, not when he was in Japan. Shield was not scary to the hero group there, and the government refused to let them intervene. Not that it was a new thing, they’d never been very keen on having shield run around. 

 

But now, Jamie was coming to America, coming to their turf. Finally,  _ finally,  _ they were going to get a chance to see just what the teen was hiding.

 

“You know what, Phil? Send some agents to the front of the airport, put some others behind the desk, I think we need to give this kid a warm welcome to America.” 

 

And Fury couldn’t wait to see what it was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The time... Has come ;-)
> 
> Next Chapter: The reunion BEGINS!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, please comment and kudos! It really helps me feel less like I'm writing for ghosts :)
> 
> Have a good day/night/evening!


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